A woman and her young daughter escaped unharmed from a house fire on the city’s east side.
Katrina Wade, 24, told Columbus Fire Department that a neighbor knocked on the door of her home at 222 N. Mapleton St. and said smoke could be seen coming from the home’s attic vent. Wade and her 3-year-old child fled the rented house, fire department spokesman Capt. Mike Wilson said.
Firefighters received a call about a fire at the single-story home at about 1:52 p.m. Monday and arrived about three minutes later. This was the city’s first residential structure fire of the year, Wilson said.
Firefighters placed a ladder on the front of the home to reach an attic vent located above the front porch. Firefighters entered the attic vent and discovered flames and smoke. They sprayed water and knocked down the fire quickly, Wilson said.
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Firefighters entered through the attic vent opening to check for additional fires. A thermal imaging camera detected hot embers within the insulation, and the insulation was doused with water, Wilson said. Firefighters removed the insulation from the attic and sprayed it with water to ensure it wouldn’t rekindle.
Wade told fire investigators that she had recently experienced a power failure, and had to reset an electrical breaker. She also said that she had detected an odor of smoke inside the home but could not identify the location, Wilson said.
Firefighters found working smoke alarms in the home, and fire investigators said the electrical fire was accidental, Wilson added. Damage to the house was estimated at $2,500. Wade is arranging temporary lodging.
