Teen Saves Home from Fire

A 16-year-old Derry resident is being credited with saving his home from being destroyed by a fire on Wednesday.

At 3:23 p.m. Wednesday, Derry Fire Engines 1, 2, 3, 4, Tanker 1, Medic 1, and Car 1 were dispatched to 8 Belmont Terrace for a reported structure fire. Upon arrival crews found an extinguished fire with fire and smoke damage to the stove, kitchen hood and cabinets, and smoke damage throughout first floor.

Sixteen-year-old Nathaniel Mejia was home alone, upstairs taking a nap, when he was awakened by the smoke detectors going off throughout the house. His mother had left a few minutes before to pick up other children from school. When he went downstairs he encountered a significant amount of smoke in the kitchen and observed the stove, stove hood, and cabinets above the stove on fire. He immediately grabbed a kitchen fire extinguisher and was able to extinguish the flames; he then opened windows to remove smoke and took three dogs outside, placing them in a family car. His mother arrived home just after he extinguished the fire and called 911.

Initial crews used hand tools, thermal imaging, and a water extinguisher to extinguish any remaining fire while confirming that the fire was contained to the area of the stove, hood, and cabinets. The accidental fire was investigated by the Derry Fire Department. The origin was the fan motor in the kitchen hood, while the exact cause of the fan failure has yet to be determined.

This Derry Fire Department said the fire is a perfect example of the importance of working smoke detectors and a having a fire extinguisher available for kitchen fires.