Members of the Scarborough family of Westport Island are counting their blessings after narrowly escaping tragedy in a late afternoon fire Feb. 11 at 9 Lord Rd.
According to the homeowner, Linda Scarborough, co-owner of Damariscotta’s Scarborough Collision Service, the fire was caused by a recently recalled Discovery Kids Animated Marine Lamp, which had fallen from the wall of her grandson’s room and subsequently caught on fire.
“It was divine intervention,” said Scarborough. “Usually he’s taking a nap in the afternoon but for some reason he refused to that day.”
According to Scarborough, her daughter Mariah, who also lives at the home, was watching television when she heard a smoke alarm from the second floor of the house. After walking upstairs, the daughter opened the door of the bedroom as her son, 17-month-old Mathew, quickly “rushed” past her into a burgeoning inferno of flames and smoke according to Scarborough. After feeling her way through the smoke, Mariah Scarborough quickly gathered Mathew and ran outside to call for help.
“The fire was between his bedroom door and the crib,” said Scarborough. “I don’t even like to think about what could’ve happened”
Crews from Westport Island, Wiscasset, Edgecomb, and Woolwich responded to the blaze that left the 25-year-old house “unlivable,” said the family, who have since found a temporary rental until reconstruction can begin. Mariah Scarborough was treated at the scene for minor burns and Mathew escaped unharmed.
Stu Jacobs, investigator for the State Fire Marshals Office, has identified the Discovery Kids lamp as the source of the fire but has ruled the cause as “accidental.”
“In the case of a recalled product we will contact the necessary agencies if a hazard is thought to exist,” said Jacobs on Feb. 14.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with lamp manufacturer Innovage LLC of Foothill Ranch, Cal., announced a voluntary recall of the product on Feb. 9. The hazard was identified as a defect in the lamp’s printed circuit board that can cause an electrical short, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers.
The recall involves both the Discovery Kids Animated Marine Lamp with model number 1627121 or 1628626 and the Discovery Kids Animated Safari Lamp with model number 1627124 or 1628626. The lamps are silver in color and feature rotating films with marine or safari scenes and approximately 366,000 units are involved.
Scarborough said she purchased the lamp at a local Rite Aid for around “10 dollars” and hopes that parents will heed her warning.
“If you have one, throw it away,” she said.
Scarborough said the situation was “terrible” but the family could weather the crisis financially for now. All of Mathew’s toys were destroyed in the fire but friends and relatives have pitched in with help over the past few days. After the fire, the family retreated to a local motel where they “talked” all night to make sense out of what happened, a cathartic experience filled with an important lesson in what truly matters in life, said Scarborough.
“We didn’t lose my daughter or grandson,” she said. “The damage to the house is horrible but we’re still a family. That’s what matters.”
For more information on the Discovery Kids Animated Marine and Safari Lamp recall visit www.lamprecall.org or www.cpsc.gov.
