YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Base officials believe a portable DVD player sparked a mattress fire in a tower-apartment bedroom on Yokota’s east side over the weekend.
No one got hurt, and damage was minimal. The incident occurred about 3:30 p.m. Sunday.
The occupants, who were home at the time and alerted by a smoke detector, called 911 and then used buckets of water to put out the flames, according to Yokota fire chief Mark Lawler.
“Firefighters arrived to find the mattress smoldering and removed it to the balcony, then extinguished it completely,” he said. “The military family housing unit was not damaged by the fire.
“A portable DVD player was on top of the mattress at the point of fire origin, which is the most probable cause.”
The blaze broke out in the tower apartment in Building 1562. Lawler said damage was limited to the mattress top, linens and some curtains. He said unattended electrical gadgets and equipment on flammable surfaces can be dangerous. “It is always a good idea to turn off all electronic devices, especially those that generate heat,” he added.
