An alert Napa man who heard his neighbor's smoke alarm sounding Monday afternoon and called for help while deploying the building's fire extinguisher is being credited with averting serious damage after a candle sparked a blaze on Ash Street near Randolph.
The resident of the home, one of three units on the property, was walking her dog when a candle left burning on a desk ignited a fire, said Napa Fire Department Capt. Jim Pope.
Neighbor Jim Jude heard an alarm, saw light smoke and called 911 to report a fire while grabbing the building's externally-mountain fire extinguisher to begin fighting the flames, Pope said.
"He took immediate action," Pope said.
Three fire engines and a total of 13 personnel responded to Jude's 4:47 p.m. call, Pope said.
"All the things worked together" to prevent serious damage to the home: The smoke alarm, the fire extinguisher, Jude's quick work and the fire department, Pope continued.
The incident is a reminder to residents that they should replace old smoke detector batteries and use candles safely, Pope said.
He added that Christmas tree lights can also be a fire hazard. Click here for Christmas tree safety tips.
Have you ever been alerted to a fire by a smoke detector?Tell us in the comments.
For all our latest fire coverage, please see our Fire Watch topic page at napavalley.patch.com/topics/Fire-Watch.
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