Basement fire caught early, fire chief says
Published on -11/6/2009, 1:19 PM
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A building fire in Hays Thursday afternoon caused light damage and displaced one family.
Firefighters responded to a report of a fire at 1102 E. 17th at about 2:25 p.m. Thursday. They found a small fire burning in a concealed space in the basement of a four-unit apartment building, according to Hays Fire Chief Gary Brown. The fire was extinguished without any difficulty.
"The most probable cause was a metal dryer vent pipe that was chafing against a 220-volt electrical power line," Brown said.
He said the chafing created enough heat to ignite the floor joists in the concealed space.
Brown said the family was home at the time and called in the fire after smelling smoke.
"With it being in a concealed space, there's no way people would have found this until the fire gained some considerable headway," Brown said.
Brown said the fire serves as a reminder to make sure all smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are working in the home.
