LEAD | Firefighters from two Northern Hills departments responded to a 5 p.m. house fire Monday at 519 Grandview St., east of the Open Cut, extinguished the blaze and were called back five hours later when the fire rekindled in an attic, according to city and fire officials.
Lead City Administrator Mike Stahl said Tuesday that an electrical short in attic wiring caused the blaze and ignited insulation. The homeowners and an electrician who was on site investigating the cause of a power outage at the residence poured buckets of water on the fire before firefighters from Lead and Deadwood arrived, which minimized damage to the dwelling, he said.
“The fire was in a tight attic space,” Stahl said. “Firefighters stuck around for an hour, but the fire rekindled about 10 p.m.
“When we went back we had to do a lot more work and we had to get a lot more aggressive,” he added. “Firefights knocked a hole in the roof and the living room ceiling and pulled out the old wiring and insulation and that took care of the problem.”
In addition to the holes, the home sustained minor water and smoke damage and will require extensive rewiring, Stahl said.
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