Middletown Firefighters Extinguish Lawnmower Fire

A fire sparked by a John Deere lawnmower tractor inside a Middletown resident's garage was quickly extinguished and prevented from causing major damage to the building on Sunday evening.

The fire occurred around 6 p.m. Sunday evening inside an unattached backyard garage at 61 Fenner Ave., reported Chief Ronald Doire on Monday.

The Middletown Fire Department responded to the scene with Ladder 39 and Engines 1 and 37 after the homeowner called 911, according to Doire. The owner told fire officials that the tractor caught fire shortly after he cut the lawn and parked it inside the garage.

"Because this call was received during a shift change, members from both shift three and shift two were able to respond together," Doire reported. "Under the direction of Captain Pete Faerber and Captain Brian Powell, Middletown firefighters arrived on scene five minutes after the call was received."

Upon arrival, firefighters found that the fire had spread from the lawnmower to a few other items inside the garage as well as to a small area of the garage itself. Firefighters extinguished the fire quickly using a line from the pump on Engine 1, while the Engine 37 crew connected another hose to a fire hydrant on Fenner Avenue to resupply the water stored on Engine 1, Doire said.

The tractor was completely destroyed and the items that caught fire inside the garage were heavily damaged. The structural damage to the garage itself was minor, Doire reported.

Middletown Fire Marshal Adam Westman, who was assisted in his investigation by firefighter Keith Notarianni, determined the fire was accidental. The exact cause remains under investigation, Doire said.