PORT TOWNSEND — A fire that damaged a home on Quincy Street last week was caused by an electrical overload, fire officials said.
Burn patterns showed that the fire, which began on the second story of the house at 419 Quincy St., “had smoldered for a significant period of time — perhaps as long as a day or two,” said Bill Beezley, East Jefferson Fire-Rescue spokesman.
Beezley issued a report Friday after the Jefferson County Fire Investigation Task Force completed its investigation of Thursday’s fire.
“The investigation identified that a number of extension cords and power strips were in use and determined that, based on the limited number of outlets available in the upstairs room, the outlets were most likely overloaded,” Beezley said.
East Jefferson Fire-Rescue firefighters rushed to the fire at 12:41 p.m. after a child at Castle Hill Preschool across the street saw a plume of smoke and told his teacher, who called 9-1-1 emergency dispatchers.
No one was hurt. Owners Aaron and Cathy Von Awe were in California, according to neighbors.
Firefighters found flames and smoke pouring from the second story of the 101-year-old house.
They contained it within 20 minutes, Beezley said.
Fire damage was limited to the second floor and attic, he added, although the first floor suffered from smoke, water and traffic.
The Jefferson County Public Utility District cut off electrical power to the house and eight surrounding residences before firefighters entered the building.
Power was reconnected at about 2 p.m.