Safety Reminder in Home Fire Scare

Innocent child's play nearly turned dangerous at a borough residence earlier this week.

The , and late Sunday afternoon responded to a residence on Myrtle Avenue because of a burning odor in the basement.

"When we got there, there was a haze and odor in the basement," said Chief Louis DeRosa. "The kids had a built a fort down there out of pillows and cushions, and brought an electric lamp into it so they could see. The lamp was under a chair and a pillow fell against it and the heat from the lamp started the pillow smoldering, which generated the smoke and odor.

"We quickly discovered it and avoided having the pillow burst into flames, which could have gotten the basement going," DeRosa said. "It could have been a catastrophe."

The chief said that the incident serves as a good warning for parents, who should keep a watchful eye on what their kids are doing.

"We were there for about 45 minutes, but the situation was only a couple minutes away from becoming a 'free burn,' which has the potential to be very destructive," DeRosa said.