CHELSEA — Extension cords serving a sump pump and space heater in the basement of a home along Route 113 are being blamed for an overnight fire that caused smoke and water damage.
Firefighters were able to contain the fire to the basement, but the home, which was occupied, suffered smoke and water damage in the fire, which started about 12:30 a.m. this morning.
A State Police news release said the sump pump and an electric space heater were plugged into several extension cords that “were coiled in several spots and pinched between some lumber on the floor. This could cause the line to be overloaded, can cause resistance in the line, and extreme heating of the cord. Evidence of extreme heating was found.”
Nobody was injured in the fire at 142 Route 113, a home owned by Mike Johnson, according to the news release.