Music

Accordion starts fire at Newfoundland seniors' home

by Jesse Locke

Even fans of Weird Al, Ramón Ayala, and Great Big Sea’s Bob Hallett rarely utter the words “hot accordion.” However, that was the tagline for a recent CBC story on a curious fire department call in the town of Gander, Newfoundland. An accordion placed too closely to an electrical heater sent a personal care home up in smoke.

Fortunately, the residents of Golden Years Estate (“Where Life Meets Tranquility”) escaped unscathed and the only damage caused was a few melted buttons.

Adison Quilty of Gander Fire and Rescue told the CBC that people need to be cautious with heat sources in their homes as temperatures continue to drop. “We tell people to keep a minimum of 18 inches clearance around electrical heaters at all times,” said Quilty. “Just in case things like this fall up against a heater or anything like that overnight.”