Fire causes $40,000 in damage to St-Isidore home

An overnight electrical fire caused $40,000 in damages to a home on Chemin St-Isidore in the early morning hours of Monday, January 31.

The Nation Fire Department was called to the scene at about 3:15 a.m., according to the Pascal Laviolette, the department's east sector fire chief.

The electrical spark happened after dripping water touched and short-circuited a loose wire in the basement of the home. The fire then spread through a crawlspace to other parts of the residence.

The family was notified by the smoke detectors, and were waiting outside when firefighters arrived on scene, Laviolette noted.

Twenty-five firefighters from the St-Isidore, Fournier and St-Bernardin fire stations were on the scene and had the blaze under control within 30 minutes.

Their effort was assisted by a water pipe, located between the main floor and the basement, which heated and burst open as a result of the fire.

"It definitely helped us a lot," said Laviolette.

There were no injuries, he added, while the damages are estimated at about $40,000.