By NOELLE FRAMPTON
Staff writer
ConnPost Article Last Updated: 09/19/2008 11:28:57 PM EDT
MILFORD -- Friday wasn't a happy day for the DeRosa family, but it could have been worse.
The late afternoon fire that torched their garage and damaged their 65 Green Meadow Road house, unwittingly caused by their 18-year-old son, could have ended in a large explosion due to a propane tank stored in the garage, firemen said.
Fire Capt. Christopher Zak, fire department spokesman, said propane in the partially full, grill-sized tank would have wreaked havoc in another five or 10 minutes.
"It would've blown up "¦ and probably the fireball would've come out to where the engines are [on the street]" he said.
Zak urged locals not to store such tanks inside.
The fire started shortly before 3:15 p.m. and spread from the attached garage into the attic of John and Barbara DeRosa's two-story, wooden home before firefighters arrived en mass and doused it.
Happily, although Barbara DeRosa, her son and 13-year-old daughter were home during the blaze, they and their three dogs escaped relatively unscathed.
Residents of the quiet residential street north of the Boston Post Road clustered to watch firefighters battle the blaze, cut holes in the garage and house roofs and rip off some garage siding.
Kelly Pippa, who lives across the street, saw the fire and called 911.
"Little pieces of something were on fire "¦ three little cluster fires," she said, cradling her baby. "Before you know it the garage was just up in flames and their son ran into the house to get the dogs. It's so scary." Pippa said firefighters killed the flames quickly. "The school bus just drove by before the fire department got here," she said. "I'm like, 'Oh my god'." Zak said the 18-year-old was treated for minor first-degree burns, but declined a trip to the hospital.
Fire Marshal Lee Cooke said the fire that left the garage a charred ruin and blackened the green wood siding was accidentally caused by the young man "playing with matches" and therefore, no charges will be filed.
Neighbors said they were shocked to see the thick, black smoke boiling from the house.
"It was pretty bad," said Bill Wing, who was baby-sitting his cousin next door. "Flames were coming out the whole side of the garage there. Smoke was coming out of the whole house." John DeRosa arrived home with resolute, quick steps to survey the damage after the fire was out. He declined to comment as firefighters were leaving the scene shortly before 5 p.m.
The family had been excited earlier this week to get a new couch, neighbors said.
Zak said it was unclear if the house was livable, but added that the American Red Cross would respond to help the family later that day.