Two 11-year-old boys in Luskville, Quebec, are being credited with helping stop a patio fire before it spread deeper into a home.
Daxton Crête and Philippe Décary had just stepped off the school bus on June 3 when they noticed black smoke rising from behind a row of trees, according to the Pontiac Journal.
The boys alerted Philippe’s father, Jordan Décary, then ran toward the smoke and found a residential patio in flames. They knocked and rang the doorbell repeatedly to wake the homeowner, who was asleep inside.
The homeowner and his dog escaped safely. Jordan called 911, used a nearby garden hose to slow the fire, and told the boys to move back and help direct emergency vehicles to the property.
The Fire Was Moving Toward The House
By the time Jordan reached the home, flames had already started spreading toward the exterior wall. He told the Pontiac Journal that another five or 10 minutes could have allowed the outside wall to collapse.
Firefighters arrived soon afterward and extinguished the remaining hot spots. The quick response kept a patio fire from becoming a much larger house fire.
Investigators Are Looking At Reflected Sunlight
Officer-Captain Brian Middlemiss of the Pontiac Fire Department said the cause remains undetermined. Investigators are examining whether sunlight reflected through glass patio panels may have ignited dry material in planters on the deck. Hereford & Worcester Fire warns that mirrors, glass ornaments, and similar objects can focus sunlight onto combustible material.
The agency advises keeping magnifying mirrors, glass ornaments, paperweights, and other reflective items out of direct sunlight.
Decks And Patios Need Clear Space
Image Credit: Shutterstock.
Decks and patios often collect the exact things that burn quickly, including planters, cushions, brooms, mats, furniture, umbrellas, firewood, and dry leaves.
Fire Safe Marin advises keeping combustible materials off decks or moving them away from the house, especially during fire-risk conditions. It also recommends clearing debris from deck boards, gaps, and areas underneath a deck.
In this case, the smoke was visible from a nearby yard, and the boys acted before the fire reached the inside of the home. Their attention, Jordan’s 911 call, and the garden hose gave firefighters time to finish the job.