OTTUMWA —
Overloading electrical circuits with space heaters and other items means too many amps, and fire can result.
A family living in the 300 block of North Weller Street had electrical problems Thursday morning. Overloading the home’s circuits with too many space heaters resulted in a fire in the attic area, according to city firefighters.
“There will be more incidents like these as the weather gets cooler,” said Ottumwa Fire Deputy Chief Cory Benge, adding that the family has no insurance.
But, Benge also said the local American Red Cross will help the family by taking them to a motel for a couple of days.
To battle the fire, the crew put down tarps and got the burning insulation outside.
Benge also hopes people will be mindful and not put bigger fuses in the electrical box. He also noted the Weller Street problem won’t be the last one this season.
The fire call came in at 9:19 a.m. Thursday, and the crew finished by 10:41 a.m.
Ottumwa
Related Photos
-
A city firefighter works at cleaning up the scene in the 300 block of North Weller Street. The crew answered the fire call and dealt with the electrical problems that result when too many space heaters are used at the same time. The home’s circuits tried to handle too many space heaters and Ottumwa Fire Deputy Chief Cory Benge said more incidents like this will occur as the weather gets colder. Cindy Toopes/The Courier
Electric overload leads to attic fire
- Ottumwa
-
-
Stabbing trial pushed back
OTTUMWA -- The trial of an Ottumwa man accused of stabbing another man to death has been pushed back. Twenty-year-old Brandon Seim was charged in November 2011, when he was 18, with the stabbing death of Andy Madren, 34. When officers arrived at the
- Downtown beautification supplemented with utility vehicle OTTUMWA -- A new utility vehicle will soon be zooming around downtown, making sure the rights-of-way remain in pristine condition. At Tuesday's city council meeting, council members approved the purchase of a city-owned vehicle to maintain downtown l
- Tornado creates local questions OTTUMWA — If there's a tornado in Wapello County, where would I go afterwards? It isn't hard to understand why local callers are asking Wapello County Emergency Management that question. Josh Stevens, emergency coordinator for the county, said since
-
Training goes beyond fires
OTTUMWA — Our firefighters aren't afraid to run into a fire, said one official, but when it comes to a Hazmat situation, they walk. On Wednesday, the Ottumwa Fire Department was on the grounds of Cargill Meat Solutions, training as realistically as p
- Veterinary clinic rezoned to commercial OTTUMWA -- The Ottumwa Veterinary Clinic is now officially a commercial district. At Tuesday's city council meeting, members voted 4-1 to approve the rezoning of the clinic from R-1 Single Family Residential to C-1 Commercial District, with Councilma
- Ottumwa lands 2015 Iowa Tourism Conference OTTUMWA — It takes two southeast Iowa communities to yank the opportunity to host the Iowa Tourism Conference from Des Moines. Ottumwa Area Convention and Visitors Bureau executive director Mark Eckman was stunned by how quickly the Iowa Tourism Offi
-
Barber shows no signs of cutting career short
OTTUMWA -- Darrell Smith's hands are steady and sure as he picks up his clippers and straight razor to begin his first haircut and shave of the day. Smith, 88, has cut hair for 62 years and has owned Smitty's Barber Shop on Albia Road for the past 58
- Roaring winds Southeast Iowa in clean-up mode after storm passes through OTTUMWA — Work crews in and around Wapello County put in a lot of hours. And they were ready to do it again. “We had the storms roll through there last night,” said Ryan Stensland, a spokesman for Alliant Energy. “Down in southeast part of the state,
-
Flood debris removal up for consideration
OTTUMWA — A month after heavy rainfall caused rivers and streams to flood Ottumwa streets and homes, the city council will solidify a plan to remove the debris left behind. At the council's meeting tonight, members will consider awarding the $12,500
-
Reviving downtown's upper stories
Building by building, the upper stories of downtown Ottumwa are coming back to life after some have sat empty for half a century.
- More Ottumwa Headlines
-
