WASHINGTON — Almost every home has extension cords, but fire investigators say a spark from a misused one started a fire that killed two women in Frederick County.
The extension cord connected to holiday lights in Geraldine and Donnie Jones’ Emmitsburg home caused the fire that took her life and left him in the hospital.
“The extension cord was underneath a reclining chair [and] got entangled with the rocking mechanism of the chair which caused the failure of the extension cord, says Maj. Tim Clarke with the Frederick County Fire Marshal’s office.
The flames reached the upstairs apartment, burning Diana Meyer, 43, who later died from her injuries.
Many homeowners are misusing extension cords to power their holiday lights this season.
“The condition of the extension cord is the most important. Don’t be plugging too many items into one cord,” Clarke says.
Experts caution not to plug extension cords together, bend them or run them underneath rugs or furniture.
