House Heavily Damaged By Fire

HARWICH – No one was injured in a fast-moving house fire Monday that may have been caused by a magnifying mirror left in an outdoor shower.

 Neighbors of the house at 20 Fernwood Cir. called to report flames, smoke and explosions shortly after 3 p.m. Firefighters arrived to find flames climbing the back of the single-family house, extending to the attic. A working fire assignment was issued, bringing in crews from Chatham, Brewster, Orleans, Dennis and other towns.

 Fire Chief David LeBlanc said the exact cause may not be known, but it appears the blaze ignited in the outdoor shower stall, where the homeowner had stored two propane tanks. At least one of the tanks exploded. In the past, a number of house fires have been sparked in the springtime when the sun hit magnifying shower mirrors, concentrating the rays. LeBlanc said the structure is salvageable, but not currently habitable.

 A number of Harwich firefighters responded to the scene directly from another incident, which involved a boy who was stuck in the mud in the Herring River marsh off North Road. Firefighters used a roof ladder to reach the boy, who was trapped up to his mid-thighs. He was uninjured.