Woman treated for smoke inhalation in Indian Hills fire

Staff Reports

An Indian Hills woman had to be treated for smoke inhalation after a fire in her home on Saturday morning.

A 16-year-old girl living in the home knocked down the fire with a pan and water after a dog apparently knocked over a heater, East Fork Fire District Capt. Terry Taylor said.

The fire on 890 Granite Court was discovered by Elizabeth Stuart at about 11:30 a.m. Taylor said Stuart opened the door to a back addition to the mobile home to try and save the family pets.

"She saw the fire on the floor and the bed and was unable to rescue the animals," he said. "She breathed in some smoke and the medics took her to Carson-Tahoe for smoke inhalation.

Stuart was treated and released at the regional medical center.

The teenager, Elizabeth, was in the home at the time of the fire and ran back into the house and threw water on the fire using a pan.

"She had it knocked down when our guys got there," he said.

Taylor said the source of the fire was an electrical heater without a tip switch to shut it off. The heater ignited the carpet and the mattress.

"It was very smoky in there," he said.

Once the smoke was cleared by firefighters, the dog revived, but the family's cats were lost.

Taylor said there were six people in the home when the fire occurred.

"The message here is to watch where those heaters go," he said. "There is the possibility the animal knocked it over."