House Fire On Hillside Court Damages Exterior

A fire on the outside of a house at 20 Hillside Court was put out by East Greenwich Fire Thursday night. No one was injured and damage inside the house was minimal, according to EG Fire Chief Peter Henrikson. 

"The occupant thought he heard crackling outside his home," Henrikson said. He stepped outside and saw flames on the exterior of his house at around 10:30 p.m. "Thankfully, they hadn't gone to bed yet," the chief said.

"The damage was contained to the exterior of the house and part of the roof," he said. 

"A contractor had been doing some painting and staining in the [development]. The point of origin was in the equipment," Henrikson said. In particular, he said, there were some linseed oil-soaked rags in the vicinity and a pile of such rags could lead to spontaneous combustion.

The state fire marshall is conducting the investigation.

Mutual aid was called from Warwick Fire to cover EG Station 1 while North Kingstown Fire covered EG Station 2. The Providence Canteen was also on scene to assist.

Hillside Court is part of the development off Middle Road just west of South County Trail.

Thanks to Steve Cloutier for photos.