Date: Fri 01-Jan-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

Christmas-Eve-fire-Mehri

Full Text:

Christmas Eve Fire Damages Mehri Residence

BY ANDREW GOROSKO

A fire late on Christmas Eve at a Whippoorwill Hill Road residence gutted one

level of the two-level home, causing an estimated $322,000 in damage to the

building and its contents, according to fire officials.

There were no injuries in the blaze which heavily damaged the Mehri residence

at the end of Whippoorwill Hill Road, a quiet winding dead end street off Mt

Pleasant Road, said Fire Marshal George Lockwood. Whippoorwill Hill Road is

across Mt Pleasant Road from Taunton Pond.

Susan Mehri was at home after 11 pm operating a clothes dryer when she noticed

a problem with the dryer and called the emergency 911 telephone number, Mr

Lockwood said.

The nature of the problem, however, wasn't clear from the call, he said. Using

the call tracing function of the E-911 system, the origin of the call was

determined and firefighters and equipment were then dispatched to the scene,

the fire marshal explained.

Ms Mehri's parents, father Parvis and mother Bahijeh, were out of town at the

time of the fire, Mr Lockwood said. They returned home after they learned of

the fire.

Mr Lockwood said he is investigating whether the fire was caused by a motor

malfunction of the dryer or whether the type of material which was placed in

the dryer caused the problem. The fire is not suspicious, he said.

The clothes dryer has been sent to a scientific laboratory for an analysis of

what caused the blaze.

The fire gutted the entire first floor of the house, the fire marshal said. A

laundry room, dining room, bar, and kitchen received heavy damage. The upper

level received smoke damage.

Hawleyville, Newtown Hook and Ladder, Dodgingtown and Sandy Hook firefighters

went to the scene. The residence is in the Hawleyville fire district.

Firefighters spent about three hours at the home.

The Mehris were staying elsewhere after the fire.