Furnace malfunction blamed for hot house-melted refrigerator, TV, VCR, family pictures, linoleum floor ....
| June 16, 2008 |  View for printing |
Under the best of circumstances, when returning from an extended time away from home, the inside of a refrigerator can look like a science project, but when Livingston Firefighters opened a refrigerator on Robin Lane Tuesday, they found melted shelving and condiment bottles.
By Peter Vandergrift, Enterprise Staff Writer
The refrigerator and other items in the house had melted when it is suspected the gas furnace system malfunctioned while the owner was out of town.
“The temperature inside the refrigerator was over 150 degrees,” said Livingston Firefighter Capt. Jeremy Jacobson. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
The television, VCR, family pictures and even the linoleum floor was melted, he said.
Jacobson said neighbors were caretaking while the owner was away for a week. When the neighbors came to check on things, they noticed the doorknob was burning hot to the touch, and called for help.
“When we entered the house, our thermal imager showed 168 degrees. It got even hotter when we got to the back room,” Jacobson said.
The official cause for the malfunction is unknown and damage costs have yet to be determined, he said.
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