Heating Hand Towel in Microwave Helps Spark Milford House Fire

MILFORD, CT — A homeowner's attempt to heat a hand towel in the microwave ended up sparking a fire that Milford firefighters quickly extinguished, a top fire official said.

At 2 p.m. Milford Fire Dispatch received a 911 call reporting a fire on the exterior of a residential home located at 24 Ward St., fire officials said. First arriving firefighters found a small fire extending up the exterior front wall of the residence .

Firefighters quickly extinguished the small blaze.Damage was confined to the front wall and interior closet area of the home, said Fire Battalion Chief Anthony Fabrizi.

The homeowner stated that she was attempting to heat a hand towel in the microwave oven and noticed a section of the towel had started to discolor from the heat, fire officials said.

The homeowner then placed the towel outside to cool on her mailbox as a precaution and returned to the inside of her home, the news release states. The towel had caught fire and spread to a wooden decoration mounted on the mailbox and eventually spread to the home's exterior siding, Fabrizi said. A short time later, a neighbor had alerted the homeowner that the outside of the house was on fire.

No injuries were reported and the occupant was not displaced by the fire. An investigation was conducted by the Milford Fire Marshal's Division.

"As a reminder, any smoldering objects should be thoroughly extinguished and/or placed in a fire rated metal container at a reasonable distance from your home or any combustible materials," Fabrizi said.

Photo credit: Anthony Fabrizi