The Washington C.H. Fire Department has determined the cause of Tuesday’s house fire on Temple Street, which caused extensive damage to the structure, according to authorities.
“The cause seems to be electrical in nature and caused extensive damage to the home that will need to be repaired and cleaned with smoke damage as well,” WFD Lt. Tim Downing said during an interview Wednesday. “Nobody was home or hurt during the fire thankfully. Our guys did a great job, this was handled by the book and they could not have done a better job if they tried. Most of the loss in the fire was personal contents unfortunately and it is always hard to see it happen.”
According to the WFD, the station received an alarm a few minutes after 8 a.m. Tuesday with reports of a structure fire at 905 E. Temple St. in Washington Court House. Arriving just moments after the alarm, the firefighters found smoke showing from the structure, a single story home. At the time, neighbors had advised the firefighters that occupants were still inside the home. Upon forcing entry, the WFD started the fire attack and began searching the home for occupants.
It was discovered after a search of the home that it was clear of people, as the occupants were gone for the day and were found to be at another location. The firefighters extinguished the fire and started the investigation into the cause. The WFD determined the fire began in the master bedroom at the rear of the structure.
The fire was controlled within an hour of arriving and the WFD investigated the cause, staying on scene for over two more hours. The Red Cross was requested to the scene to assist the residents of the home.
