Blaze destroys garage
CENTER TWP — A riding lawn mower apparently sparked a fire Saturday afternoon that destroyed a detached garage and damaged a house on Watterson Lane off Route 308, authorities said.
No one was injured in the blaze, which started about 3:40 p.m.
A sport utility vehicle and other belongings, including the mower, in the wood-frame garage were also gutted. Damage was estimated at $100,000.
Joe Rakoci, who rents the ranch-style house, had just finished cutting the grass and parked the mower in the garage.
“It backfired as I pulled it in,” he said.
Rakoci didn't think much of it.
“It's done that before,” he said of the mower.
He went into the house, just feet away, but moments later one of his sons noticed smoke coming from the garage. Another son was also home.
Rakoci, whose family has lived there for about 10 years, went to inspect.
“Once I opened the (garage) door,” he said, “boom. It was like a big fire ball.”
An immediate call to 911 sent fire crews to the home that sits on an acre plot.
It didn't take long for flames to engulf the garage. Then a nearby tree caught fire.
Concern for the house gripped Rakoci as he waited for help to arrive. Unionville volunteer firefighters got there quickly and went to work.
Saving the house was top priority, said Mike Pflugh, assistant chief of the Unionville Volunteer Fire Department.
“Radiant heat melted the (home's) siding,” he said, “and caught the porch on fire.”
Firefighters hit the side of the house with foam and a crew went inside to make sure there was no interior fire.The fire to the garage was eventually knocked down and the damage to the home was minimized.“There was no (fire) extension inside the house,” Pflugh said.“They did a great job,” Rakoci said of the firefighters. Grade wise, he added, “I give them a 10 out of 10.”Destroyed in the garage was a Honda Pilot, the mower, tools, a refrigerator and other items.Rakoci said he has renter's insurance. The property owner, James Tarr, who lives nearby but was away, also was insured.Pflugh said it appeared the hot and possibly malfunctioning riding mower was to blame for the accidental fire.Rakoci, who lives with his wife and their three children, said his family would likely be staying with relatives for a day or two until the smell of smoke clears from the house.
