CFL lightbulb sparks fire

By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    HOULTON — A faulty lightbulb is cited as the source of an apartment fire in the early morning hours March 9.
    Firefighters were called to the 9 Highland Ave. apartment of Richard Norton shortly after 1 a.m. for a report of smoke billowing through the hallways of the apartment complex, according to Houlton Fire Chief Milton Cone.
    “The first respondent on the scene reported he could see fire in the upstairs window,” Cone said. “Compounding the matter, we had a report that someone was still in the apartment.”
    Prior to the fire department’s arrival, Houlton Police personnel attempted to enter the apartment building, but were pushed back out by the smoke, Cone said.
    “We entered the building, did a quick search, and found the occupant was not inside,” Cone said. “We were able to knock the fire down quickly, containing the fire to that one room.”
    The chief added there was smoke damage throughout the building, but only Norton’s apartment was uninhabitable as of Monday afternoon. Rachel and Gus Green own the building.
    Cone said the fire started when a compact fluorescent bulb (CFL) malfunctioned, causing a table lamp to catch fire and quickly spread to the nearby wall. The chief said he has heard of CFL bulbs malfunctioning. CFL bulbs are latest technological advancement and are considered more energy efficient than conventional incandescent bulbs. The CFL bulb also does not get hot to the touch as an incandescent bulb can get, which leads some to believe they are safe to leave on, even when they are not home.
    “A lot of people think they [CFL] bulbs are safer, but they are still an electrical appliance,” Cone said. “One of the things to be concerned about is that the ballast in the base of the bulb can fail. When they do fail, the generate an extreme amount of heat.”
    The quick response by the fire department was made possible thanks to smoke detectors inside the apartment, notifying tenants of the problem.
    Anyone with questions on CFL bulbs can contact the Houlton Fire Department at 532-1320.