A downed electrical line caused 3 home fires early Friday morning. Fire and police responded to a home on Ramsey Street where flames were evident on the outside of the home. A house immediately to the south was also on fire. Crews were joined by a third team which assembled to investigate 2 additional house fires in the neighborhood. Residents were awakened on East 11th, where a fire was discovered in their basement. Excel Energy responded and cut electrical power from the 1100 block to the 1300 block of Ramsey and Sibley Streets. Fire teams determined that electrical shorts and spikes were being back fed to the homes from the electrical feeder line. A tree branch fell, severing the electrical line, which came into contact with both the telephone and cable lines. As a result, these homes were over energized with electricity. Once the main electrical feeder line was de-energized, fire teams were then able to finally extinguish the fire. Excel then began the process of repairing the affected transformers and electrical lines to re-energize the area. The incident also knocked KDWA Radio off the air for approximately 3 hours on Friday morning. Hastings Fire Chief Schutt spoke with us and relayed information on what to do if popping noises, excessive light intensity or sudden electrical malfunctions take place in your business or residence.
All homes affected sustained significant damage, but are considered repairable.
