Alarm company: Um, sir? Your house is on fire

[February 28, 2009]  POMFRET, Conn. (AP) -- A Connecticut man was so engrossed with the tunes on his iPod that he didn't realize his house was on fire - until his alarm company called.

Pomfret Assistant Fire Chief Edward Bates says Andrew Riley told him he was listening to music Thursday afternoon when the blaze broke out on the upper floor of his 2 1/2-story house.

Bates says Riley didn't smell smoke or hear the smoke alarm going off.

After receiving the call, Riley dashed upstairs and shut a door to the burning room.

Firefighters arrived on the scene and quickly put out the blaze. The damage was limited to the exercise room and an adjoining office.

A fire marshal blamed the fire on an electrical malfunction in the exercise room.

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Information from: Norwich Bulletin, http://www.norwichbulletin.com

[Associated Press]

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