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Investigators returning Saturday to Gouverneur area blaze site to continue search for cause

Posted 11/7/14

By CRAIG FREILICH St. Lawrence County fire investigators will return Saturday to a Gouverneur-area house to see if they can narrow down the possible causes of a fire Thursday night. That night, …

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Investigators returning Saturday to Gouverneur area blaze site to continue search for cause

Posted

By CRAIG FREILICH

St. Lawrence County fire investigators will return Saturday to a Gouverneur-area house to see if they can narrow down the possible causes of a fire Thursday night.

That night, Vernon Phillips's house at 41674 Spragueville Rd. in the Town of Antwerp was ablaze and surrounded by firefighters when he and another occupant returned home.

Firefighters from Gouverneur, Antwerp and Oxbow had responded at about 6 p.m. to the blaze after neighbors, right on the St. Lawrence County-Jefferson County line, called emergency services on both sides of the line.

No people were reported hurt, but several pets required attention and one apparently died, according to Fire Investigator Joe Lacks.

“Several cats and a dog were injured and at least one cat died,” Lacks said. “EMT’s did CPR on some of the animals.”

Firefighters confined the blaze mainly to a storage area at the back end of the house, but Lacks said there was smoke and heat damage elsewhere in the structure.

The initial investigation was inconclusive, but investigators will be back on the scene Saturday morning.

Lacks said they want to see if an electrical problem or spontaneous combustion was the reason for the blaze.

Lacks noted that Phillips plays Santa to area children on assorted occasions. His first appearance this year was scheduled for next week.

“He is very well known for that, and he was concerned if he would be able to make it. They might be able to retrieve some things.”

The house is insured, Lacks said.