ROCKLAND — Rockland Acting Fire Chief Adam Miceli said Monday that two separate house fires over the weekend were caught early and extinguished before firefighters arrived on scene, namely because of a sprinkler system in one of the residences and a working smoke detector in the other.

Rockland Fire Department responded to two different house fires last week, the first around 11:15 p.m. on Oct. 30.

Miceli said in a news release that firefighters were called by the home of Paul Karlsson at 79 Union St. Friday night, after contents inside a plastic garbage bag caught fire. Miceli said that Karlsson had disposed of ashtray contents into the plastic bag on the first floor of the home and then went upstairs.

“The contents of the bag ignited within 30 minutes and activate a nearby sprinkler head, extinguishing the fire,” said Miceli in the release.

Karlsson was alerted by the sprinkler activation, found the issue and began cleaning up before firefighters arrived on scene.

Miceli said that Rockland Police officers on patrol heard an alarm and during an investigation, found water flowing and smoke in the home and reported to the fire department that they only needed to investigate the cause and help Karlsson with cleanup.

Four Rockland firefighters responded to the call, said Miceli. He added in the release that Asst. Chief Mike Mazzeo felt that had the sprinkler not been present to control and put out the fire, Karlsson would have “most likely been trapped on the second floor, above the fire.”

Mazzeo also noted that the single smoke detector found at the home had not activated before the sprinkler put out the fire.

“The location of the fire near the stairs, and the lack of a second exit from the upper story, would have at best resulted in a window escape or rescue by fire personnel,” said Mazzeo in the release.

The second weekend fire was reported Nov. 1 at 6:04 a.m. at 481 Old County Road, where Eileen Johnson was home when a cardboard box of magazines that was left too close to a wood stove ignited while the occupants were asleep.

A smoke alarm activated, waking them, and there were able to extinguish the fire that had not spread beyond the box of contents, said Miceli.

When they arrived on scene, Rockland firefighters determined that the fire had not spread beyond where the fire was originally burning, and confirmed it was caused by combustible materials placed too close to a heat source. 

Rockport Fire Department was sent automatically to provide mutual aid, but Miceli said they were quickly returned to quarters upon the arrival of Rockland Lt. Rick Johnson in Tower 3 and a determination that the fire was out.

Miceli said, “Given the location of the fire to the sleeping area, without a working smoke alarm this fire could have resulted in tragedy. In this case, the smoke alarm woke the occupants with time enough for them to extinguish the fire before it got out of hand."

He said Monday that both fire calls had fortunate outcomes due to safety systems in the homes, and added that city homeowners and residents can contact the American Red Cross of Maine or the Rockland Fire Department to have their house inspected and smoke detectors installed for free. Contact the Rockland Fire Department at 207-594-0318 and the Red Cross at 207-874-1192.