Dryer fire strikes Mitchell house

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A woman renting a Mitchell home at 617 S. Langdon St. narrowly escaped injury Tuesday when an explosive fire started in her clothes dryer.

Lisa Mason, 44, put in a 911 call to Mitchell firefighters around 6:14 p.m. when she was unable to snuff flames pouring from the machine.

Flame and fire damage were extensive in the two-story, single family home, which is owned by Mount Vernon resident Ken Martish.

Firefighters cut two ventilation holes to get access to the fires and were able to save the structure.

The fire was officially out around 7:20 p.m. There were no injuries, said Assistant Fire Chief Paul Morris, who was in charge at the scene.

“Everything’s gone— my purse, my prescriptions, my money — they were all on the kitchen table,” said Mason, who has rented the home for the past four years. She has daughters in the area and has a place to stay.

Mason said she was sitting in the home’s garage visiting with friend Scott Schiager, who had just gotten off work. “I was doing laundry and I just went in the house and I smelled something funny.” Mason quickly traced the smell to the dryer and ran to get a fire extinguisher. When she opened the dryer door, fire shot out the door of the machine and quickly spread to the home’s interior.

“Flames were so high and the smoke was so black I couldn’t see,” Mason said, her face still soot-smeared.

She shot the extinguisher at the fire to no effect and immediately called 911. Mason was the only person in the house at the time. She said that except for a few scratches, she’s OK. “Even my turtle survived,” she said with a grin.

Ross Dolan/Republic

Lisa Mason, shown wearing shorts, and friend Scott Schiager watch Mitchell firefighters at work as smoke pours from the home Mason rents at 617 S. Langdon St. Tuesday evening. The fast-moving fire that began in a clothes dryer severely damaged the structure.

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