Electrical issues blamed for two Tuesday fires
By SHANNON CRABTREE scrabtree@leader-news.com

L-N Photo by Brenda Sommer Venting An El Campo firefighter struggles to access the eaves at 1309 Vallejo Tuesday evening as volunteers worked to douse an electrical fire there sparked by an air-conditioning unit. A young girl was at home when the fire started, but was not injured in the blaze.

Electrical problems were to blame for two separate structure fires just outside the El Campo city limits Tuesday evening.

On Della Street, an extension cord leading to a sump pump was to blame for destroying a garage and pickup parked inside while on Vallejo Street a window air-conditioner malfunction sparked the fire.

No one was hurt in either blaze although both caused extensive damage.

283 Della Garage Fire

Flames had fully engulfed the 283 Della garage of Tommy Marek when firefighters arrived on scene around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, rolling around the still standing wall studs.

The fire was already threatening the Marek's home which was situated less than 10 feet away from the free standing garage.

With flames already consuming most of the garage, the department deployed its new Compressed Air Foam System or CAFS to coat the side of the Marek's home with a protective layer before hitting the main fire.

"We put foam on the house and started to hit the fire to get the heat away. It really knocked it down," Assistant Fire Chief Jimmy George Jr. said. "The firefighters coming (to the scene) said they saw black smoke and just like that it turned white."

The system is being credited with saving the home.

"It made all the difference in the world," Fire Chief Jimmy Nielsen said. "We saved the house because of the foam."

The water and foam mix the CAFS system creates absorbs into wood faster creating a heat barrier.

"There would have been more damage if we had used straight water," Nielsen said, adding the CAFS foam also speeds in cooling the blaze area and removing carbon.

A total of 29 firefighters and eight units were involved in the effort to save the Marek's home.

The facade of their home was damaged, George said, but added he was impressed by the quick stop.

"There was maybe eight feet between the garage with fully involved fire with propane, a vehicle and gas. It was a very energized fire."

The Mareks reportedly suffered no damage inside their home although damage to the facade is estimated at $10,000. The garage and pickup inside was considered a total loss.

"The fire started in the northeast corner of the garage," El Campo Fire Marshal Larry Staff said. "I found an extension cord leading to a sump pump which showed heavy beading (evidence of overheating and shorting out)."

The pump had reportedly been running quite a bit in the days leading up to the blaze.

1309 Vallejo Fire

Just a few hours after the Della Street blaze, El Campo alarms sounded for another structure fire - this one at 1309 Vallejo.

Arriving at Sandra Hawkins' home around 6:25 p.m., firefighters discovered the blaze had largely been doused before they arrived.

"The living room was where the fire was," George said.

An estimated $7,000 damage was reported to the structure and the Hawkins family lost about $1,000 in home contents.

A window air-conditioning unit reportedly started the fire.

"It was plugged in behind the sofa," Staff said, adding the connection may have been partially pulled loose causing the problem.

A young girl was reportedly home at the time, but was uninjured in the blaze.

The ECVFD sent 23 men and fire units to battle the blaze.