Basement Electrical Fire Damages Home
March 16, 2013
On Saturday, March 9, 2013, at 7:23 p.m., the Lee’s Summit Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire at 219 SW Opal Drive. The occupant heard a loud ‘boom” and the power went out in the house. After going to the neighbor’s home to report the outage, he came back to the house and it was full of smoke.
When the fire department arrived, light smoke was visible from the single-story, single family residence. The only occupant of the house was outside.
Firefighters entered the house and found light smoke on the first floor and heavy smoke in the basement. The fire was located in the electric circuit breaker panel and had spread to the exposed floor joist above it. Firefighters extinguished the fire above the panel and contained the fire to the breaker panel until the utility company could shut off electricity to the house. A search of the building confirmed no one else was in the house. The fire was under control by 8:20 p.m.
The fire originated in the circuit breaker panel. Fire damaged the floor above the panel and a portion of the outside wall, with minor smoke damage to the remainder of the house.
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