Man using torch to melt ice dam sets home on fire

TONIGHT. JOHN, WHAT CAN YOU TELL US? WELL, ERICA, THIS HAS REALLY BEEN A STUBBORN FIRE, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE FIREFIGHTERS NOW HAVE IT UNDER CONTROL. THIS IS THE HOME BEHIND US HERE, AS YOU MENTIONED, ON CRAIG STREET. BUT I JUST WANT TO DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO THE LEFT CORNER OF THE HOME. YOU CAN SEE WHERE IT’S BURNED OUT. RIGHT THERE. I WAS TALKING WITH THE HOMEOWNER. HE TELLS ME HE WAS UP ON A LADDER WITH A TORCH TRYING TO MELT AN ICE DAM. AND THAT IS WHAT APPARENTLY SPARKED THIS FIRE. NOW WE’LL SHOW YOU SOME CELL PHONE VIDEO FROM ANOTHER NEIGHBOR HERE THAT CAPTURES SOME OF THE FLAMES. THE FIRE STARTED IN THIS CORNER, BUT REALLY SPREAD ACROSS THIS ENTIRE HOME. IT WAS A VERY SMOKY FIRE. FIREFIGHTERS RUSHING HERE AND AS I MENTIONED, A STUBBORN FIRE AS THEY WERE TRYING TO GET CONTROL OF IT AT ALL. BUT THEY’VE BEEN IN THE HOUSE. THEY’VE HAD TO BREAK ALL THE WINDOWS. NEIGHBORS SAY THAT FIRE WAS POURING OUT OF SOME OF THE WINDOWS HERE. SO OBVIOUSLY ONE OF THE DANGERS THAT WE TALK ABOUT WHEN WE’RE DEALING WITH THIS COLD ICE DAMS OBVIOUSLY FORMING ON PEOPLE’S ROOFS, BUT THIS IS NOT THE WAY TO TAKE CARE OF IT. THE HOMEOWNER ADMITS THAT I WAS TALKING TO HIM, BUT HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT SOME OF THE WATER THAT WAS COMING IN. SO FIREFIGHTERS ARE STILL HERE RIGHT NOW. THANKFULLY, THAT HOMEOWNER IS OKAY. OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS ALSO A RISK TO FIREFIGHTERS WITH TEMPERATURES THIS COLD. WE’VE GOT WATER ON THE GROUND HERE. THERE IS THAT CONCERN. BUT AT THIS POINT WE CAN REPORT NO INJURIES IN THIS FIRE