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A resident tried to douse a trash can fire himself but failed, leading to a larger fire that heavily damaged the manufactured home he shared with his mother.
Justin Dunn, 1313 Carlisle St., Lot D, told firefighters of the Bellefontaine Fire Department he had emptied cigarettes butts into a bathroom trash can that later set off a small fire.
He was alerted to the fire around 2:15 a.m. when the smoke detector went off.
Rather than call for firefighters, he used pitchers of water to douse the flames.
However, he was unaware the fire had spread into the walls and ceiling. It reignited within minutes.
This time his mother Dawn Dunn tried to help fight it by turning on the shower and pointing the shower head at the fire.
They finally called for help at 2:32 a.m., according to fire dispatch logs
The fire was contained to the bathroom and living room of the trailer, but there was smoke damage throughout.
Firefighters estimate there was $12,000 damage to the structure and contents.
The Dunns are being assisted by the local Red Cross chapter.