Mansfield Police Chief's Home Damaged In Fire

MANSFIELD (CBS) – The Mansfield police chief's home was damaged Friday in a fire, but he is thanking area firefighters for their quick response in preventing further damage.

A small fire broke out just after 8:30 a.m. on Stearns Ave., the home of Chief Ron Sellon.

Sellon's family was home at the time of the fire, but escaped without injuries.

Firefighters arrived at the home within three minutes of a 911 call, and were quickly able to douse the flames.

"That time scale highlights why it is very important for all occupants to exit the building immediately when the fire or smoke alarms start sounding," firefighters said. "We often go to multi-family dwellings where only a few people exit because they assume it is a false alarm."

The cause was determined to be a small electronic device in an upstairs bedroom at the house.

Flames led to damage on the second floor and also smoke and water damage on the first floor.

Sellon tweeted that he was still processing the incident, but thanked first responders for their quick work.

"Out of terrible events so much good can grow. Thank you Mansfield," Sellon tweeted.