How Not to Fix Frozen Pipes

In Washington, where the housing stock does not lend itself to pipes freezing as easily, a fire department spokesman found no record of such fires in the past five years.

Fire officials say that what Woodland tried -- torching heating fuel lines -- is particularly dangerous. Torching frozen water lines also is risky. Copper pipes can carry heat several feet to flammable materials behind walls. Torching also can thaw water so quickly it boils, rupturing the pipe and spraying scalding water.

In 1993, The Washington Post published an Associated Press article that suggested using a torch, along with two provisions: Place a doubled-up piece of sheet metal behind the pipe to contain heat, and "keep a fire extinguisher handy just in case."

But extinguishers hardly guarantee safety. At an Alberta, Canada, apartment building, according to one notable example, maintenance workers torching a frozen drain pipe ignited nearby insulation. They tried a fire extinguisher. No luck. Of the firefighters called to the scene, five were injured when a ceiling collapsed.

Winter brings out all kinds of ill-advised fire-safety behavior.

Barbecue enthusiasts place briquettes inside fireplaces. Unlike regular fires, which produce enough heat to create an upward chimney draft, barbecues are cooler and can send carbon monoxide drifting into the home. Others dispose their Christmas trees in the fireplace, creating the opposite effect: fires so hot they can ignite the chimney. Some owners of kerosene space heaters, wanting toasty toes, place them against cloth-covered ottomans or fill them with gasoline.

In Charles, it is unclear exactly how Woodland's torch led to the fire. A spark may have ignited part of the house. When Woodland saw the fire, he hurried inside.

"Mama, get out of the house!" he yelled.

Using her walker, she made her way to a large tree in the front yard, blocking herself from the wind. Her son tried to douse the flames with buckets of water, making three trips inside the house -- the last one nearly trapping him inside the debilitating smoke. He was able to call 911.

Firefighters stopped the blaze, saving the bedrooms and much of the living room. Investigators ruled it accidental, assessing damage to the house and contents at $150,000.

Junior and Madeline have moved in with family members. They plan to move back to the house after it is repaired.

Last week, a daughter brought Madeline to the house, which was cleared of enough smoke for her to reenter for the first time since the fire. She slowly walked to her houseplants. They were badly burned, but she found one bulb and one surviving plant, which she placed in a plastic bag to take with her.

She wheeled to her bedroom, finding it in better condition.

It could be a lot worse, Madeline said. She had looked forward to Christmas at a daughter's large house in Upper Marlboro. Without everyone squeezing into the old house, though, it won't be the same.

"I wish I could be here in my little home," Madeline said.