Defective fireplace cause of fire at Patrice Terrace home

Investigators have determined the cause of a house fire that caused $175,000 in damages.

The Main-Transit Fire Department responded to a reported basement fire at 7:13 p.m. on Nov. 7 at 83 Patrice Terrace.

Firefighters were on location in three minutes and found heavy smoke showing from the single family house. The fire was in the basement ceiling area of the home, and firefighters were able to extinguish it quickly.

The owners, the Lyons family, were home at the time of the fire and escaped unharmed.

They reported hearing a loud pop in the basement, found smoke and immediately called the fire department. The fire was between the floor joists and above the dropped ceiling of the basement.

Main-Transit Fire Chief Robert Karl commanded 60 Main-Transit and Snyder firefighters who manned three engines, one aerial ladder truck and two heavy rescues. There were no injuries reported.

Karl determined the cause to be a defective fireplace, where the hot ashes started a fire in the floor underneath it and caused $100,000 damage to the structure and $75,000 damage to the contents.