BY VINAYA SAKSENA

CENTRAL FALLS — For the second time in the last four days, a major house fire has displaced several people, this time as a result of improper blowtorch use, according to Fire Chief Rene Coutu.

At approximately 9:35 a.m. on Tuesday, Coutu said, firefighters responded to 121 Clay Street for a report of a fire there.
Once on the scene, he said, the firefighters noticed smoke emanating from the walls of the two-family unit.
According to Coutu, the owner of the building had been doing renovations with help from a couple of workers, when one of them, believed to be the owner, began using a blow torch to remove paint from around a window on the building.
“Instead of scraping it, he was using a torch,” Coutu said. “That’s something that was done years ago, but you don’t see it much anymore, because it’s dangerous. The flames got into the window and nobody noticed it. But the first floor tenant did see smoke coming from her countertop.”
Coutu said the aforementioned tenant made her concern about this development known to the landlord, who initially dismissed it as a normal product of the blowtorch being used.
However, when the problem persisted and became worse, he allegedly agreed that something was wrong, and a call was placed to the Central Falls Fire Department.
By the time firefighters arrived on the scene, the flames had apparently traveled through the wall, spreading to other areas of the building. Coutu said the building had sustained damaged to several wall boards and studdings, and was not habitable.
No one was hurt as a result of the fire, though the building has been condemned and will not be considered habitable until repairs are done and pass inspection, Coutu said. He noted that six people had been displaced as a result of the fire, and had been taken in temporarily by the Red Cross. In an unexpected stroke of luck, Coutu added, pets were also rescued from the building safely, including a dog and later, a cat.
“These guys did a good job,” Coutu said of the firefighters who responded. “Because, when the fire’s in the wall, you’ve got to chase it.”
This is the second house fire to displace residents in the city in the last few days, following a blaze at 90 Rand Street early Saturday morning that was believed to have displaced at least nine people. Coutu said the State Fire Marshal’s office had since determined that the fire was accidental, and had most likely been caused by an electrical malfunction.