RACINE — A fire that is being attributed to an electrical issue caused an estimated $18,000 in damages to a Racine home on Lighthouse Drive Monday morning. There were no injuries.
The Racine Fire Department (RFD) was called to the home at about 8:20 a.m. on a report of smoke in the basement. A resident noticed an electrical failure in one room and soon after smelled smoke, according to an RFD news release. The home’s smoke detectors were in place and working.
Firefighters located the fire behind a baseboard heater. The fire was brought under control within about 10 minutes. Six fire apparatus with 21 personnel responded to the incident.
Electrical fire safety
The fire cause was attributed to an electrical issue related to rainwater infiltrating a non-GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) exterior outlet.
RFD reminds residents that GFCI outlets should always be installed in bathrooms, garages, crawl spaces, basements, laundry rooms and any areas where a water source is present or possible.
The fire caused an estimated $12,000 in damages to the structure and $6,000 to the contents.
Racine Police & Fire
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