Magnifying glass causes Camden business window display fire
A passerby called 911 Thursday morning around 9 a.m. after they saw window decorations smoldering on a table inside the Josephine store at 5 Elm St. in downtown Camden. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
The window display when firefighters arrived to a report of a fire at Josephine in downtown Camden Thursday morning. (Courtesy Camden Fire Department)
The burning napkin and melted plastic greenery was dropped into the bucket on the left to douse them with water, and the wood basket handle also needed to be extinguished.
This magnifying glass won’t likely be sitting in the window of Josephine anymore. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
A passerby called 911 Thursday morning around 9 a.m. after they saw window decorations smoldering on a table inside the Josephine store at 5 Elm St. in downtown Camden. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
The window display when firefighters arrived to a report of a fire at Josephine in downtown Camden Thursday morning. (Courtesy Camden Fire Department)
The burning napkin and melted plastic greenery was dropped into the bucket on the left to douse them with water, and the wood basket handle also needed to be extinguished.
This magnifying glass won’t likely be sitting in the window of Josephine anymore. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
CAMDEN — A tabletop magnifying glass on a stand in the window of the Josephine store in downtown Camden caused a smoldering fire that Camden firefighters were called to extinguish Thursday morning.
A report of a structure fire at 5 Elm St. just after 9 a.m. on Oct. 15 resulted in a mutual aid call to area town fire departments and North East Mobile Health Services. When Camden firefighters arrived on the scene a couple of minutes later, they determined the fire was contained and called off the mutual aid response.
Camden Fire Chief Chris Farley said that passersby noticed the small smoldering fire on the display table in the window and one of them called 911.
“A cotton napkin behind a magnifying glass caught fire and smoldered, and then began smoldering the wooden handle of a basket next to it,” said Farley.
After firefighters made entry into the closed business, they picked up the burning materials, dropped them into a galvanized bucket and brought it out to the sidewalk, where water was used to put the fire out.
A fan was set up in the entrance to the business to remove smoke from inside.
Firefighters cleared the scene about 45 minutes after the call.
Reach Editorial Director Holly S. Edwards at hollyedwards@penbaypilot.com and 207-706-6655.
Event Date
Address
5 Elm Street
Camden, ME 04843
United States
