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JAMESTOWN – Fire investigators have determined what sparked a westside blaze at a Jamestown home on Wednesday. A fire that likely burned without notice for eight hours.
Battalion Chief Roger Sigular tells WNY News Now an overloaded electrical circuit in the basement is blamed for the fire at 39 Pennsylvania Avenue.
The blaze, Sigular says, likely burned for nearly eight hours after the homeowner left around 9 a.m. with those in the neighborhood reporting they smelled smoke throughout the day.
Fire crews responded to the location around 5 p.m. after a next-door neighbor heard an explosion: a window failing to hold up to the pressure caused by the slow burning blaze.
When crews got to the scene, the chief says they encountered intense heat caused by the fire.
“For us any working fire you’re looking at temperatures anywhere from 800 to 1,200 degrees for a burning fire, it’s quite intense, and it makes its way down to the floor, so at the ceiling it is 800 degrees but if they are crawling around on the floor it is going to be well over 400,” Sigular said.
After making entry into the home, knocking down flames and venting the structure, the fire was extinguished. As for the extent of damage, Sigular reports repairs could be made, however some of the floor may have been weakened.
No injuries were reported to the home’s sole occupant or the dog relaxing in the fenced backyard.
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