Air fresheners a focus in Johnston fire probe

Clayton, N.C. — Investigators trying to determine what caused a fire at a Clayton home are looking into whether air fresheners could be to blame.

Johnston County Fire Marshal Chris Perry said Friday that at the time of the fire, Glade PlugIns were connected to three electrical outlets at Phillip and Dana Jackson's home on Sunray Drive. He did not specify the type of PlugIns.

No one was home at the time and no one was injured, Perry said.

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Investigators probe air fresheners in fire

Authorities have no definitive cause, and they are looking into possible electrical issues. A fire investigator from S.C. Johnson, which manufactures the product, was also at the scene Friday investigating.

Perry said investigators were able to purchase the same type of air fresheners at a Dollar General at 841 W. Market St. in Smithfield, where the Jacksons purchased theirs.

Christopher Beard, S.C. Johnson's director of public affairs, said in a statement Friday afternoon that the company is confident the fire was not started by one of its products.

"S.C. Johnson sent a fire investigator to the scene of the fire to evaluate the incident and work with local law enforcement," Beard said. "The investigator concluded that our products did not cause the fire."

"S.C. Johnson takes the issue of product safety very seriously and Glade PlugIns, like all S.C. Johnson products, meet or exceed safety requirements," Beard continued.

In April 2002, S.C. Johnson voluntarily recalled one of its products that posed a potential fire risk, but Perry said investigators were unsure if it was the same product that was involved in the fire.