The Murfreesboro Post, June 1, 2013
Quick thinking by Murfreesboro firefighters save Cannonsburgh’s “Telephone House” from a fire Saturday morning, according to a press release from Murfreesboro Fire & Rescue department.
Firefighters from District 1 responded to the fire just after 6:30 Saturday morningat Cannonsburgh Pioneer Village located at 312 S. Front St.
Crews arrived to find smoke billowing from the front of the building.
Engine 15 Capt. Jamie Bigelow could tell that the deck portion of the front porch of the building had been smoldering for a while.
Wanting to preserve what he thought might be old boards on this historical building, Bigelow and his crew began to carefully pry the boards off to locate the fire underneath.
Once the fire was located, crews were able to extinguish it quickly.
“The fire appears to have started in the mulch and spread to the building,” Bigelow said. “It was apparent that the mulch had been smoldering for quite some time before flaming.”
It is unclear what caught the mulch on fire; however many mulch fires begin with a discarded cigarette.
The National Fire Protection Association warns, “Do not discard cigarettes in vegetation such as mulch, potted plants or landscaping, peat moss, dried grasses, leaves or other things that could ignite easily. Before you throw away butts and ashes, make sure they are out, and dousing in water or sand is the best way to do that.”
Cannonsburgh Village started as a Bicentennial project in 1976. It has been maintained by the City of Murfreesboro as a village that represents approximately 100 years of early Tennessee life from the 1830s to the 1930s.