Fire caused by cinders from stove

With their home destroyed, funds are being raised for the Skipper family

GUILDERLAND — The Jan. 6 fire at 37 Park Avenue was caused by ashes from a wood-burning stove being placed too close to the house, according to Sean Maguire, a member of the Westmere Fire Department who serves as the public information officer of the town of Guilderland Fire Chiefs Association.

Linda and Ernest Skipper and their children were not burned in the fire.

“The main thing is, we’re all alright,” Linda Skipper said this week. The family has found a place to rent off of Carman Road and hopes to move there soon, she said.

“I just want everyone to know we’re very grateful for their generosity,” said Mrs. Skipper. “The way the world is today, you wouldn’t think people were that nice.”

A member of the Skipper household called 911 at 5:13 p.m. on Jan. 6, Maguire said.

The Skippers’ Park Avenue home is located in eastern Guilderland, right near the Bethlehem town line and not far from the Albany city line. The assistant chief of the North Bethlehem Fire Department, Chris Fuino, was the first on the scene.

“He saw the smoke and called for mutual aid. He was pro-active,” said Maguire. North Bethlehem was assisted by fire departments from Fort Hunter, Guilderland, McKownville, Westmere, Elsmere, Slingerlands, and Delmar.

The smoke was coming from the back of the two-story frame house.

“They began to aggressively attack the fire from the rear of the structure,” said Maguire. “They tried to isolate it on the right side of the garage area.”

It was dark and cold. The ground was icy, and lights were deployed so the firefighters could see, said Maguire.

“They got the fire under control in 15 minutes,” said Maguire, who was on the scene himself. The garage and the room above it were burned, and heat from the fire damaged siding on the house next door, but the firefighters controlled the blaze so it did not spread, he said.

After the fire was controlled, the crews “did overhaul,” said Maguire, “pulling out drywall and plaster and checking for anything hidden in the walls.”

No firefighters were injured. Mr. Skipper, who suffered from smoke inhalation, was taken to the hospital for evaluation. Medical support was provided by the Guilderland Emergency Medical Services and the Western Turnpike Rescue Squad.

Asked if the house were salvageable, Maguire said that would be up to an insurance adjuster to decide; he noted there was smoke and water damage throughout.

The Town of Guilderland Fire Investigation Bureau determined that the fire was caused by ashes from a wood stove that were disposed of in a container close to the house. The bureau, made up of members of the town’s Department of Fire Prevention, the Guilderland Police Department, and the fire departments in town, is charged with helping the fire chiefs determine the cause of all reported fires in Guilderland.

“They did have a metal container away from the house; they did have a proper way of disposing of the ashes. This was a mistake,” said Maguire.

He noted that many people, in the tight economy, are turning to wood-burning stoves, and he stressed that ashes should be at least five feet away from anything combustible.

Contributions

 The Skipper family is being helped by their church, the Mount Pleasant Mission Baptist Church; by the Guilderland schools, which two of the children attend; and by the Guilderland Chamber of Commerce. (See related story.)

The chamber learned of the Skippers’ plight from Dawn Wier, who serves on Guilderland High School’s crisis team; she is a secretary for Assistant Principal Lisa Patierne. Wier had worked with the chamber on an adopt-a-family program at Christmas time.

“I said, ‘Any time there’s an emergency, give us a call,’” said the chamber’s executive director, Kathy Burbank, and Wier did.

“We’re a solid community organization, so people feel they can write a check or drop off their money here and it will get where it should go,” Burbank said. While the chamber will not be sponsoring a fund-raiser itself, Burbank said, “We’ll help anyone who wants to.”

Burbank sent an e-mail to chamber members, stating that both parents in the Skipper family had been unable to work because of medical problems.

“It is sad that this family has been experiencing a quiet burden and now the fire is what brought them to our attention,” Burbank wrote. “I know our community will help: that is what we do here in Guilderland.”

Contributions for the Skipper family may be sent to the Guilderland Chamber of Commerce, 2050 Western Ave., Guilderland, NY  12084.

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