Gilbert Fire & Rescue officials are sounding the alarm about a concerning spate of recent garage fires in town and they are urging homeowners to take preventative measures seriously.
Though official statistics aren’t yet available, Capt. Eric Pajak said fire crews have responded to “three or four significant garage fires within a fairly short period of time.”
Garage fires are not uncommon in Gilbert, and Pajak said many fires in town start as or involve the garage space. The concern has prompted the department to issue a series of public service announcements with key advice for residents.
One main points Pajak emphasized is that garages are designed as fire compartments — built to contain fires for a limited time to prevent them from spreading to the rest of the house. But that only works when specific safety features are in place and intact.
“You got to have a solid core fire-rated, self-closing, self-latching door that goes from your garage to the inside of your house,” Pajak said, adding that defeating the auto-close function for convenience — such as when carrying in groceries — undermines that protective barrier. “That could be bad in the case of a garage fire if that door’s cracked or left open or anything like that.”
Drywall is another critical component of garage fire safety. Pajak explained garage drywall is thicker than standard interior drywall and must remain intact to slow the spread of fire.
He warned against removing the panel that covers the attic access — known as a scuttle hole — which can create a direct path for fire to quickly reach exposed wooden structures in the attic.
Pajak recalled a recent garage fire where “the garage didn’t have any drywall in place on the walls or the ceiling,” allowing flames to rapidly spread.
“By the time they got there a mere four or five minutes after the fire started, there was already a large involvement in the attic space,” he said. “Pretty much the whole inside of the house is done after a good attic fire.”
Improper storage is another risk factor. Pajak urged residents to keep garages clean and uncluttered and to store hazardous materials like gas cans and oils in designated, fire-rated containers.
Lithium-ion batteries — increasingly common in tools, scooters and other devices — are also raising red flags.
“We know that across the country, lithium-ion batteries in particular are causing a lot of fires,” Pajak said.
In fact, the town launched “Take Charge” initiative in June 2024 to address lithium-ion battery fires.
He advised following manufacturer guidance, using approved chargers, and avoiding cheap knockoffs.
“Basically they cause a small, basically electrical explosion instantly, and there’s so much heat put off … that it catches whatever else is around it on fire,” he said.
Pajak also cautioned against overloading outlets.
“Maybe you only have one outlet on that side of the garage … but you want to plug in eight things,” he said.
This kind of misuse can overheat wiring and spark a fire.
A newer concern involves electric vehicle charging. Pajak said residents installing high-voltage EV outlets themselves or using unqualified help may not use the proper gauge wiring, risking overheating and fire.
“We just say, ‘Hey, if you’re going to do any electrical work on your house, you need to hire a qualified electrician,’” Pajak said.
While some fires, such as those involving dryers, typically occur inside the house rather than in garages, Pajak said all fire risks are taken seriously.
The department has issued PSAs about bathroom and laundry room exhaust fans — often left running too long — which can overheat, ignite surrounding insulation, and start attic fires unnoticed by smoke detectors.
Gilbert residents are encouraged to check the fire department’s social media for safety tips and photos from recent incidents.
We would like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org. Tom Blodgett can be reached by email at tblodgett@iniusa.org or follow him @sp_blodgett on X.
Meet Tom Tom Blodgett joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2022, when the company acquired Community Impact Newspaper's Phoenix-area properties. Raised in Arizona, he has spent more than 35 years in journalism in the state.
Community: He has served as an instructional professional in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication since 2005, and is editorial adviser to The State Press, the university's independent student media outlet. He also is director of operations for an 18U girls fastpitch softball team from Gilbert.
Education: Arizona State University with a BS in Journalism.
Random Fact: He lived in Belgium during his freshman year of high school.
Hobbies: Tweeting enthusiastically about ASU softball (season-ticket holder) and grumpily about other local sports (pessimistic fan).
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