Late Wednesday afternoon, June 4, the Idyllwild Fire Department responded quickly to an electrical fire in a home on Rim Rock. No one was injured and the house did not burn.
Mike Smith, who is just recovering from surgery, said his wife Susan told him she smelled smoke. “We felt the ceiling in the bathroom and it was hot,” he said.
Susan called 911, and “here are the people [IFD] right away,” he said happily.
“IFPD initially responded to the report of smoke coming from the eaves of a house,” Chief Reitz said in an email. “Upon arrival units found light smoke coming from the eaves and roof vents of the residence, with the residents already outside.”
After investigating, the firemen identified a large amount of heat above a light fixture in the bathroom and in the attic they a large amount of blown-in insulation over the area of the light fixture that was smoldering.
The cause is under investigation, but it appears that the light fixture and/or the wiring overheated and igniting the insulation or plywood due to the amount of insulation material in-contact with the light fixture and/or wiring, according to Reitz.
Mutual Aid was received from RVC Fire, however, was quickly released once it was determined additional resources would not be needed.
“Fortunately the fire was discovered during the daytime as there were no smoke detectors found in the residence,” Reitz added.
Everyone should have working smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors throughout their residences and businesses, Reitz reminds residents and readers.
