Electrical Wiring to Blame for Vine Street House Fire

Fire investigators with Tri-State Fire Protection District ruled a fire at a vacant house on 8S041 Vine St. was electrical in nature.

Steve Riley, a fire investigator with Tri-State, said the fire was likely started in a bathroom exhaust fan.

“Those fans get old and rusted out and that can cause the solenoids to lock up and get red hot. If insulation is sitting on top of it, that can catch on fire, which is what most likely happened here,” Riley said.

The house had been vacant for four years after it was foreclosed upon. However, someone purchased the house and was taking possession the day of the fire, Riley said.  

Riley said the new owner, whose name he would not reveal, was flipping switches on some breakers that had tripped.

“We can’t confirm which breakers were tripped, but we’re leaning in the direction that one of those breakers was linked to the exhaust fan,” Riley said.

He said the electricity remained on in the house during the time it was vacant, although he did not know who was paying the bills.

On March 2 emergency responders from 19 fire protection districts converged on the scene after the fire was reported. Fire Chief Michelle Gibson the blaze was intense and forced the firefighters to fight the fire from the exterior.

During the course of the fighting the conflagration, Gibson said smoke from the fire began to billow into a neighboring home, forcing firefighters to rescue two dogs and a cat.

The old house, which was vacant for four years, is a total loss, Riley said. He said they estimate damages to be around $130,000.

“The structure is now totally uninhabitable. It will have to be torn down,” Riley said.

Prior to the new owner taking possession the day of the fire, the house had been vacant for four years. Neighbors told Patch squatters were found and removed about two years ago, but no other unusual activity was reported.

The Tri-State department responded to a call at the Vine Street house in October 2009 to respond to a broken water pipe, Riley said.

There were no injuries to the new homeowner or the members of the fire department.

“We are closing this case and labeling it an accidental fire,” Riley said.