Brandon Twp.- A family of four awakened to find their home in the 4200 block of Granger Road filled with smoke at about 12:25 a.m. on July 21.
The homeowner was unable to find the source of the smoke and called 9-1-1. Brandon Fire Department personnel, using a thermal imaging camera bought earlier this year, soon determined the fire was inside an office wall located in the family’s garage and extinguished the fire.’They found the source of the fire and put it out really quick, with 100 gallons of water, all due to the thermal imaging camera,? said Fire Chief Bob McArthur. ‘If they’d had to search for it, the fire would have gotten bigger and caused more damage. They had to tear some of the wall apart, but just a small area.?
The thermal imaging camera and accessories were purchased from Southeast Equipment Company for $8,200 in January. The camera’s primary purpose is to find victims quickly, but also gives firefighters the ability to find hidden fires like the Granger home one, which McArthur said was electrical in nature.
The new technology limited the home’s damage, but what likely spared the family potential tragedy is a device that has been around a long time? smoke detectors.
‘Smoke detectors are critical and give you warning that you have a problem in your house,? said McArthur. ‘They should be tested and the batteries checked regularly.?