Incident: Fire Investigation

 

STATE OF VERMONT

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY FIRE & EXPLOSION INVESTIGATION UNIT

VERMONT STATE POLICE – SAINT ALBANS BARRACKS

 

Vermont State Police Case # 20A205393    

 

FIRE INVESTIGATORS: Detective Sergeant Matthew Hill , Vermont State Police

                                       Detective Sergeant Frank McCarty, Saint Albans Police

                                       Assistant Fire Chief Matt Mulheron, Saint Albans Fire

DATE/TIME: December 23, 2020 @ 6:00PM

INCIDENT LOCATION: 3074 Greenwoods Road Alburgh, VT - Single family residence, manufactured home

 

Owner(s) of the house:  Melanie Therrian (age 37)   

 

SUMMARY OF INCIDENT: On December 23, 2020 at approximately 6:00 PM Melanie Therrian noticed a smell of smoke and when she opened the front door of her home, she discovered the chicken coup next to the porch was on fire.  Tyler Gotshall, an Assistant Fire Chief with the Alburgh Fire Department, also noticed the fire as he was driving by.  Asst. Chief Gotshall went to the residence and attempted to suppress the fire.  He and Ms. Therrian were able to get the children removed to safety prior to the first responding fire units arriving.  

 

Upon arrival of the fire department, the fire had extended from the coup upwards and outwards into the roof soffit and into the roof system.  Once the blaze was under control the Alburgh Fire Chief, Ron Kumetz, requested the assistance from the DPS Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit (FEIU).  On December 24, 2020 at 9:00 AM members of the FEIU responded to the scene to conduct an origin and cause investigation of the fire.  The origin of the fire was determined to be within the small chicken coup that was placed next the front steps of the house.  The cause of the fire was due to the heating lamp placed inside the coup overheating and igniting combustible materials within the coup.  

 

There were no injuries reported during the fire event, human or animal.  The Therrian family is staying with family in the area and being assisted by the Vermont Red Cross.  The home, which was not insured, is considered a total loss valued at $50,000.