SARANAC LAKE - An electrical problem was blamed for triggering a small fire that damaged the wall of a one-story, single-family home on Pine Street late Tuesday night.
Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department members responded to 1235 Pine Street, near the railroad tracks at the intersection with Fawn Street, at 11:49 p.m. with 16 members and three trucks. Essex County property tax records show the house is owned by Donald R. Premo.
Henrietta Muncil, who rents the house and lives there with her daughter, said her boyfriend, who was also staying at the house, had been smelling smoke all day. She said she got up to use the bathroom, smelled smoke and noticed that her bathroom light wouldn't turn on, so she called the police department, which contacted the fire department.
"We didn't see any flames inside, but near the orange cord (outside the front door) when I was coming out the door, there was flames," she said.
Responding firefighters used a small amount of water to extinguish open flames on the outside of the wall, where the electrical service enters the building. They used axes and other tools to open up that section of wall and doused it with a dry chemical extinguisher. A thermal imaging camera was also used to check for any other hot spots in the walls.
Fire Chief Brendan Keough said the fire appears to be electrical in origin.
"It appears something may have been backfeeding through the panel, but it's hard to say," he said. "They have some damage inside, just from opening up the wall to be able to make sure the fire didn't extend inside, and they have damage to the outside of the wall."
A crew from National Grid showed up and shut off the power to the house. The fire department contacted the Red Cross, which helped the family find a place to stay for the night.
Firefighters returned to the fire station at 1:45 a.m. this morning.
The Lake Placid Volunteer Fire Department stood by at the Saranac Lake firehouse during the call.
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Contact Chris Knight at 518-891-2600 ext. 24 or cknight@adirondackdailyenterprise.com.
