COLUMBUS, Ind. – A Columbus family escaped injury after a fire broke out in the attic of a Washington Street home on Wednesday, November 20. Firefighters found extensive fire damage in an isolated area of the attic, which required the removal of a sizable portion of the ceiling in the area where the fire occurred.
Columbus Firefighters were called to the 2600 block of Washington Street at approximately 5:01 P.M. after the homeowner was alerted to smoke in the home’s attic and called 9-11. When Columbus Firefighters arrived, they saw light smoke coming from the roofline and gable vents. Firefighters entered the home and gained access to the attic where they found flames within the attic’s insulation. Initially using a pressurized water can fire extinguisher, firefighters were able to douse the visible fire. As firefighters continued their inspection of the attic area, firefighters quickly determined that additional fire spread was hidden beneath the insulation, and the fire had extended in a large area from where the initial flames were located. To fully access the damaged area, firefighters were forced to remove a portion of the ceiling above one of the home’s bedrooms. Once the ceiling was removed, firefighters applied additional water from a firehouse until the flames and smoldering insulation were fully extinguished. During the initial investigation, firefighters learned that blown-in attic insulation had been applied earlier in the day. The homeowner told firefighters that, at some point following the insulation installation, an odor was detected in the home, but it did not immediately cause concern. During the homeowner’s investigation into the source, it was discovered that a power outage occurred within a bedroom.
Inspecting the home’s electrical box, the owner told firefighters that the breaker for that bedroom had tripped. An attempt to reset the breaker failed, according to the owner. It was soon after that a contractor working in the home found smoke in the attic and alerted the owner of a possible fire prompting firefighters to respond to the home. Damage within the attic space indicated that a smoldering fire occurred within the insulation. The fire made contact with multiple ceiling joists, which was visible by extensive charring. Firefighters said that they encountered one joist within the attic where a two-foot section of the joist had completely burned away and one additional joist that was nearly burned through.
The family will be temporarily displaced due to damage. Immediate disaster services have been offered through the American Red Cross. No Injuries were reported at the scene. No damage estimate provided.