Fire damages garage, house
An A Street garage was damaged Friday night when an electrical line fell on its roof. Sparks from the line started the fire, which was extinguished within an hour. No one was injured.
Hillsboro Fire Chief Ben Steketee first learned of the fire when a friend called him around 5:25 p.m. to tell him that he'd seen sparks on the top of a garage behind a house at the corner of A and Madison streets, just across from the south side of Hillsboro High School.
Steketee immediately went to the house and helped the occupants leave the house, he said. Hillsboro fire officials and police officials responded to the scene.
Firefighters fought the flames at the garage and also just inside the house, which was connected to the garage. Although no extensive damage was done to the home, the firefighters did have to tear down some drywall to extinguish all the flames, Steketee said.
The 202 Madison St. home, which is a rental, is owned by the local school district. The renters don't use the garage, which is filled with school equipment.
Jasmine Wiebe lives inside the house with her sister and mother, who wasn't home at the time. She first noticed something was wrong when she smelled something strange coming from the kitchen, Wiebe said.
Soon, Ben Steketee came to the door and ordered them out of the house, she said.
Firefighters left the scene around 7 p.m., Steketee said.
