CONSTRUCTION WORKERS CONTAIN ELECTRICTAL FIRE IN HUNTSVILLE AFTER HEARING SMOKE ALARMS

LAKE OF BAYS — A small electrical fire inside a wall was quickly knocked down by construction workers using a portable extinguisher here yesterday — before 20 firefighters and five fire trucks responded.

At 10:30 a.m. December 9 Huntsville/Lake of Bays Fire Fighters responded to a “structure fire” on South Portage Road in Huntsville.

Crews from Station 4 Baysville and Station 1 Huntsville attended.

They discovered a small fire inside a wall that had spread to an adjacent wood cabinet.

Crews quickly contained the fire, preventing it from spreading to the home.

At the time, three construction workers were working on the exterior of the home. They heard the smoke alarms sounding inside and quickly acted, using a 5lb ABC dry chemical portable fire extinguisher and buckets of water to knock down the fire.

The cause of the fire was determined to be an electrical malfunction involving a wall outlet and has been classified as accidental.

The homeowner had recently replaced all of the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, which quickly notified the workers of the fire condition before it grew out of control.

The Fire Department reminds residents to plan ahead for fire emergencies at home and work. Familiarize yourself with the locations of safety equipment such as fire extinguishers, electrical panels, gas shut-off valves, and water shut-off valves. In case of a fire, evacuate immediately and call 911.