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Lint Build-Up Causes Deadly Fire At Lexington Home

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Sep 14, 2008 11:43 am US/Eastern

Lint Build-Up Causes Deadly Fire At Lexington Home

Read: Prevent Dryer Fire In Your Home

LEXINGTON (WBZ) ― A dryer appears to be the cause of a house fire in Lexington that claimed the life of a devoted mother.

State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan said the fire was sparked by a clothes dryer in the basement of 48-year-old Gena Brown's home at 5 Paul Revere Rd.

Gena and her two young girls, ages 10 and 12, were inside the house when the fire broke out.

Family lawyer Ken Lakin said Gena yelled to her kids, to make sure they got out of the home safely. "She yelled for the kids to leave. She was probably overcome by fumes at that point. It was a very high, intense fire," he said.

The two girls were able to escape through a bedroom window on the second floor. They jumped onto a roof and then to the ground. Once they were out, they ran to their neighbor's house, screaming for help. Their mom was still trapped inside.

"We heard screaming from outside our window," Said Michael Strano.

"They were saying, 'Call 911, call 911,'" explained Sally Strano. "And they said, 'Our mom is still in the house.'"

Fire Chief William Middlemiss said when the first fire crews arrived at the home, they found the two girls standing outside.

After knocking the fire out, investigators found Gena's body on the second floor. "They lost their mother," said Michael Strano. "It is a tragedy… It's horrible."

Fire investigators determined the blaze was sparked by a clothes dryer in the basement.

Coan said the dryer had been used on Friday and there was a build up of lint that smoldered, eventually causing it to catch fire and spread through vents to the first and second floors.

Read: Prevent Dryer Fire In Your Home

Experts say dryer fires cause thousands of deaths every year. That's why it's important to clean your lint trap and vacuum the heat vents.

Coan reminded people to regularly clean out lint from their dryers to avoid such tragedies.

Friends say Gena was a proud soccer and hockey mom who devoted her life to her children. Her son, Jake was not home when the fire broke out.

Gena was a member of the Grace Chapel in Lexington. A memorial service will be held for her sometime this week.

(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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