Racine basement fire sparked by electrical issue
Racine Fire Department
RACINE, Wis. - An electrical issue caused a fire in a basement near Main Street in Racine on Monday morning, Feb. 27.
Firefighters responded to the fire around 8:30 a.m.
A resident noticed an electrical failure in one room and smelled smoke in the basement.
Firefighters attacked the fire located behind a baseboard heater and checked for extension. The fire was under control within 10 minutes. Damage was limited to a shared interior wall and very light smoke damage.
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Officials said the cause of the fire was an electrical event due to rainwater infiltrating a non-ground fault circuit interrupter(GFCI)-rated exterior outlet. GFCI outlets should be installed in bathrooms, garages, crawl spaces, basements, laundry rooms and any areas where a water source is present or possible. No injuries occurred to either fire service personnel or the home occupants.
The occupants were not displaced from their home.
Officials estimated the damage to the structure as $12,000 and the content inside as $6,000.