ST. RAPHAEL — Deputy Fire Marshal Robert Arsenault has ruled Monday's fire in St. Raphael as accidental.
The fire damaged a two-storey home on the St. Raphael Road near Wellington at about 3 p.m. No one was home at the time of the blaze, but a family of three has been forced to make alternative living arrangements.
The Red Cross has already started the process of helping the family with finding a place to stay and providing short-term supplies.
The fire originated in a downstairs bedroom and cause has been attributed to a laptop computer that was left sitting on a pile of clothing, which ignited due to the heat from the computer.
The Wellington fire department, joined by the Miscouche fire department, successfully employed a DSPA unit (dry sprinkler powder aerosol) during their suppression activities.
The Fire Marshal's Office would like to remind Islanders that electronic devices should not be placed on a surface where the heat from the unit cannot be properly dissipated. Always follow manufacturer instructions.
