Work Light Ignites Fire in Attic

An overheated work light is being blamed for a May 3 fire in the attic of a Dacula home.

Police and firefighters were called to a Leighs Brook Way residence after a contractor working at the residence discovered a fire in the attic.

According to the homeowner, a contractor had been spraying insulation in the attic and left the home to pick up additional supplies. While the contractor was gone, the upstairs smoke detectors activated. The homeowner initially believed the fumes from the sprayed insulation had caused the smoke detectors to alarm. Two other contractors working at the scene checked the attic and found nothing amiss.

Once the main contractor returned, the homeowner asked him to check the attic after noticing an odor of burning wood. The homeowner said the contractor yelled for him to call 911 and get a fire extinguisher after discovering a small area of flames in the attic.

During the preliminary investigation, the reporting officer found a small area of burned insulation, charred wood, burned and exposed wiring as well as a fire-damaged work light. The bulb in the work light was intact, but scorched. The officer noted the lamp’s plastic heat shield had melted and fallen away from the light. The contractor advised the light had been very hot while he was using it, prompting a trip to the store to purchase a fluorescent light to use on the job.

The cause of the fire is listed as accidental.

According to the United States Fire Administration, electrical fires kill 280 Americans each year and injure 1,000 more. Light fixtures and lamps/light bulbs are among the leading causes of electrical fires. The USFA recommends routinely checking electrical appliances and wiring and replacing any electrical tool that causes even small electrical shocks, overheats, shorts out, or gives off smoke or sparks. The USFA further advises that having a working smoke alarm dramatically increases the chance of surviving a fire.

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