February 17, 2001

PRESS RELEASE

To: Newsroom

For Immediate Release

Contact: Brian A. Crawford, Public Information Officer

Phone: 673-6652, cell: 455-2609, page: 675-2137

Fear of Gas Leads to Electrical Fire

A Shreveport woman’s fear of a gas smell in her home at 7605 Gideon Street caused her to turn to an electric powered space heater that may have started a fire in the residence by overloaded its older electrical system.

Firefighters received the call reporting smoke in the Pierremont Hills home shortly after 9:30 a.m. this morning. Once inside, crews found that the plastic coating on old electrical lines in the home’s attic had melted, exposing the electric wires and starting a fire in the wooden support beams of the ceiling and in the insulation. In order to reach the fire, firefighters were forced to tear down a portion of the home’s ceiling, says District Chief Bobby Litton.

The home’s owner, Vera Mandigo, 64, told officials that she had her son turn the gas off last week after noticing a constant gas odor in the kitchen. Officials have stated that the home’s electrical system was not adequate to accommodate the electrical heater’s requirements for power. It is important to check the electrical requirements for these individual heaters, particularly in older homes where the wiring may not have been updated to handle today’s appliance demands, says Captain Andy Matthews.

No injuries were reported

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