A quick thinking firefighter battled a blaze early Wednesday morning in the midst of a nor'easter using all he had in front of him a snow.
A volunteer firefighter who was first on the scene to a house fire in Sussex County early Wednesday grabbed a nearby shovel and tossed snow on a burning generator to save the house from serious damage, authorities said.
"It was just quick thinking on our member's part," Stillwater Fire Chief Eric Vanderhaeghan said. "He was just trying to get the fire out before it spread to the rest of the house."
Firefighter Joe McAllister, a department of public works employee, didn't have any equipment when he arrived at the 7 a.m. fire sparked by a generator close to the house, Vanderhaeghan said.
A generator sparked an early morning blaze in Stillwater Wednesday morning. Firefighters remind residents not to place generators close to their homes. McAllister grabbed a nearby shovel and threw snow on the blaze, taking out the bulk of the flames before fellow firefighters arrived, the chief said.
The remainder of the fire was extinguished with water once Stillwater Area Volunteer Fire Department arrived on scene.
No one was injured in the fire, and the house suffered minimal damage.
Though acting swiftly with snow stopped the fire from growing, Vanderhaeghan urged residents not to take action into their own hands - or shovels.
"Call 911," he said. "I wouldn't encourage anyone to go near an active fire."
Vanderhaeghan also warned of the dangers surrounding generators as tens of thousands of residents without electricity may be using them to power homes.
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"Turn them off when fueling up, and keep them away from the house," he said. "There's a big risk of fire and (carbon monoxide) in the residence."
Qualified engineers should connect the generator, as back-feeding the panel can cause fires, and as snow piles up, it should be cleared around the exhaust so it has a place to escape, he said.
Sophie Nieto-Munoz may be reached at snietomunoz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her at @snietomunoz. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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