Candle fire displaces 4 in Fort Plain

A candle is to blame for a fire that displaced two adults and two children from their Fort Plain home on Wednesday.

At about 6:49 p.m., the Fort Plain Fire Department responded to a possible structure fire at 43 Gilbert Ave. in the village.

Upon arrival, firefighters discovered that one room was fully engulfed and the fire had begun spreading to two different locations, according to the department’s Facebook page.

Fire Chief Bill Ehrenreich said in an interview that when firefighters arrived, there was heavy fire in a bedroom.

“The fire was blowing out both windows of the bedroom on the second story,” he said.

Firefighters were able to conduct an interior and exterior attack. Ehrenreich said the blaze was under control in a few minutes, which he attributed to the quick response of firefighters. They arrived on scene in about 6 minutes.

“It would have spread farther if we didn’t get there when we did,” he said.

Firefighters were at the scene until just after 11 p.m.

The cause is a candle that had accidentally been tipped over, according to Ehrenreich. The structure can be repaired.

No one was injured. The American Red Cross is providing financial assistance to two adults and two 14-year-old twins for shelter, food and clothing. Volunteers also provided emotional support and health services.

The Canajoharie Volunteer Fire Department provided mutual aid. Lake Valley EMS, Fort Plain Police Department and Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the scene.