The Chillicothe Fire Department responded to a possible electrical fire at 422 Collier on Wednesday evening.
Captain Tracy Bradley reports firefighters found heavy smoke coming from roof vents upon arrival. She says the resident, listed as Tisha Warren, was still inside, but family members were outside and said Warren had been having problems with her furnace.
Firefighters found the electrical panel upon entering the house and discovered the furnace breaker was blown as well as another breaker that was not labeled. A thermal camera was used to look for hot spots in the ceiling, and fire crews started looking for attic access. When access was not found, firefighters raised a ladder on to the roof, punched a two by two-hole, and found hot embers above the kitchen area in the insulation.
Crews then went into the kitchen and began pulling the ceiling down, finding more hot spots. A chainsaw was used to make a three by six-hole to remove insulation, and the thermal imaging camera was used to check for more hot spots. Insulation was removed from the home, and a fan was used to remove smoke and dust from inside. Bradley says a junction box under the insulation did not have a cover, and the wires connected to the box had burnt off the covering and charred beams where the wires had been.
The fire department advised Warren she would need to contact an electrician before power could be restored. Firefighters were at the scene for about an hour and 15 minutes and used approximately 50 gallons of water was used to extinguish the embers.
