COLUMBUS, Ind. — There were no injuries and minor damage at the Bloomfield Apartments Monday after a tenant discovered an electrical fire at about 2:9 p.m.
Columbus firefighters said when they arrived, the building, at 4210 Sims Court, had been evacuated.
Firefighters quickly found the cause of the alarm and gave the all clear for residents to return to the building.
When firefighters arrived on the scene, they saw light smoke coming from the exterior of a third floor apartment balcony, said Capt. Mike Wilson, Columbus Fire Department spokesman. Firefighters entered the building and reported light smoke inside of a third floor apartment but found no flames.
Crews reached that balcony where more smoke was visible. Believing that the smoke may have been caused by the wall mounted air-conditioning unit, firefighters removed the trim around the air-conditioning unit and found that the smoke appeared to be coming from a nearby electrical receptacle.
Firefighter removed a portion of the exterior wall panel and found heavy wood charring and burned electrical lines inside the wall. Firefighters disconnected the power and applied a small amount of water to cool the charred area. Firefighters then used ventilation fans to remove the smoke from the building. After determining that the fire was out, firefighters cleared debris from the second floor balcony and first floor patio left from the removal of the third floor wall panel.
During the course of the investigation, investigators learned that the apartment’s tenant smelled smoke but could not see signs of fire, Wilson said. The tenant told investigators that the smoke odor increased before the smoke began to enter the apartment from the balcony patio door.
Upon seeing this smoke, the tenant called 911. The apartment’s fire alarm pull station had been activated when firefighters arrived and occupants were clear of the building. Due to the damage to the electrical system, the power to the apartment was disconnected. Bloomfield management told firefighters that repairs to the apartment would be initiated and no other units would be affected.
Investigators said that the fire appeared to remain within the void space between the exterior wall and the interior wall. Damages are estimated to be less than $5,000. Due to the loss of power to the apartment, the tenant will be temporarily displaced. No injuries were reported at the scene. Investigators said that the exact cause of the electrical fire is undetermined at this time.
Agencies that assisted at the scene include the Columbus Police Department, Columbus Township Fire and Rescue and Columbus Regional Health Emergency Medical Services.
