Fire in Scarsdale Home Caused by Contractor's Heat Gun

A heat gun being used by a contractor to dry plaster a wall in a Scarsdale home overheated, causing wallpaper or a drop cloth to catch fire, said Scarsdale Fire Department Capt. John Saviano.

An automatic alarm in the home on 131 Boulevard alerted the fire department at 12:28 p.m. Saturday. At the scene, firefighters found a small blaze running down a stairwell from the second to first floor of the home. The fire was extinguished “right away,” Saviano said.

Saviano said the stairwell sustained some superficial damage, but the home did not suffer any structural damage.“It was more heat and smoke,” he said.

The residents of the home were not present when the fire began, and there were no injuries. The fire was deemed accidental.

Eighteen Scarsdale firefighters responded to the call. The Hartsdale, Greenville and White Plains fire departments provided mutual aid.