Fire damages home on Wallace Street

Photo courtesy of Columbus Fire Dept.

A home on Wallace Street was damaged in a Thursday morning fire. Columbus Firefighters were called to 2263 Wallace Ave, at approximately 7:40 a.m. Firefighters from nearby Station 3 arrived on the scene and reported light smoke coming from the home’s eaves and attic vents.

The homeowner said she was alerted to the fire by her neighbor who told her that smoke was coming from her roof. The resident stated that at that time there was no smoke in the interior of her home, and that none of her three smoke alarms had sounded.

The neighbor reportedly told authorities that he saw the smoke while he was assessing a power disturbance at his residence. He told investigators that he heard what he believed was a large tree limb crash onto the roof of his home. This was followed by lights flickering. The neighbor told investigators that he saw several large tree limbs lying on his home and lawn. One tree limb had fallen on an electric utility line connected to a utility pole at the rear of his property. He reported that the utility pole transformer appeared to be sparking, as was the electric meter attached to his home. That’s when he saw smoke at his neighbors’ home and informed the residents.

While the official cause of the fire is undetermined, investigators believe electrical factors contributed to the fire. Fire Department investigators discovered melted electrical wiring within a wall space believed to be the origin of the fire.

Damages to the home, are estimated at $15,000. No one was hurt.