Action by a neighbor limited damage from a fire that scorched a cabin near 6 Mile Mud Bay Road around 10:30 p.m. June 20.
Ashley Hilsinger, renter of Thimbleberry cabin, left incense burning near his mattress and went to town to play music. While he was gone, Hilsinger said, the incense flipped over onto the bed.
Neighbor Katya Kirsch heard the cabin’s smoke alarm while driving by and saw smoke. She called cabin owner Mark Sogge, who lives nearby.
“I ran up and no one was there,” Sogge said. He opened the windows and door to let the smoke clear and once he could see, “I went in and pulled out the mattress and anything that was burning.”
Borough fireman Al Badgley said Sogge had removed the burning items before volunteer firefighters arrived.
The fire destroyed the mattress, some sheets, a few of Hilsinger’s shirts, and melted his home telephone and cell phone charger, but did not reach a quilt Hilsinger’s mother had made.
“I’m very fortunate. It could have been very bad,” Hilsinger said.