Posted 1/2/02
Fast action saves home of local woman
By Shannon McKinney
Argus News Reporter
Jeanne Misch of Caledonia must have an angel watching over her.
She still has her hair, home and health despite entering a burning building and dragging out the source of the fire with her bare hands.
Old doors that were leaning against the pipe of her wood stove in the basement caused a fire at about 1:00 p.m. Saturday afternoon, December 22. She would have lost her home if it hadnít been for her quick reactions.
About a month ago, her children had cleaned up the basement and, unknown to her, had laid some doors against the pipe, which was located in an obscure corner of the shop area.
The stove had been used several times before that without catching fire.
That particular afternoon, the children had left for the weekend and Misch had just started the stove. She was upstairs in her kitchen when she took off her slippers because the floor became hot. The stove is located below the kitchen floor. She also noticed a strange smell, which she went to investigate three times before finally finding the source. The stove and pipe were in separate rooms divided by a cement wall and so it was unclear where the smell was coming from.
When she did discover the fire in the shop area, the fire appeared full blown. She explained, ìWhen I got there, I went, ëOh my God!í All I could see was a big blue smoke and flames shooting through.î
At first she didnít know what was causing the fire and had to wade through the smoke before discovering the source.
Thatís when Misch tried to decide what to do first: drag out the burning doors herself or use those precious moments to call 911. She compromised.
She grabbed the first door, which was on fire and dragged it out. Then, she ran to her phone and dialed 911. She yelled into the receiver ìJeanne Mischís fire!î then ran back out to pull out the other two doors.
She isnít sure how she did it, but she kept thinking, ìMy house isnít going to burn done, doggonit!î
Caledonia Police Chief Duane St. Mary pulled up in the driveway when Misch had just finished pulling out the last of the doors.
Soon after, the Caledonia fire department arrived and used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire and fans to pull out the smoke.
Sheetrock on the ceiling prevented the fire from spreading up into the living room floor. A fire had occurred in the same area 10 years ago, and so the area had been blocked with cement. Sheetrock had also been installed as another fire prevention measure.
Misch sustained no injuries. The area has been cleaned up and doesnít look like much happened, but the ordeal of going through the smoke to carry out the doors still keeps up her awake at night.
St. Mary said itís hard to believe that Misch was not hurt. Misch said she is grateful to St. Mary for his support, ìHeís wonderful,î she said.
Misch was also impressed with how quickly the fire department handled the situation. About 18 Caledonia fire fighters were on the scene.
Aside from the sheetrock being scorched, there is minimal smoke damage noted Caledonia Fire Chief Chuck Gavin. He said, ìShe was a brave girl to pull that burning door out.î
Tips for safe wood burning
Gavin gave some tips for safe wood burning.
Itís important to make sure you have a clear chimney and have it cleaned every 30 days. Also, make sure to use dry wood. ìUse wood thatís been seasoned about a year,î he said. Green wood can cause soot to build up in the chimney.
Itís important to use a quality chimney that has been inspected and has a clay liner.
Many times people attach new stoves to old chimneys without installing liners.
Make sure combustibles are kept away from duct work and pipes.
Make sure the stove is UL(Under Writers Laboratories) approved. UL stoves will have double bricks for extra heat protection.