Fire has damaged the electrical system of a seven unit apartment building at 948 East 2nd Street in Centralia.
Centralia City Firemen say upon arrival flames were showing from the electric box and smoke was coming from the seven individual meters for the apartment complex. Firemen waited for Ameren to disconnect the electricity and then checked to see if the fire had spread inside the building, which turned out not to be the case.
The power was left off to the building until an electrician could correct the electrical problems.
The cause of the fire has not been determined, but may have been the result of a lightning strike.
The apartment complex is owned by Rod Snow of Centralia. All of the occupants were evacuated upon the department’s arrival. They were allowed to return, but with no electricity.
Damage to the electrical system is estimated at $5,000.
Meanwhile, Salem Firemen were called out Tuesday afternoon to the Rural King Store in the Westgate Shopping Area when smoke began filling the building. An air handler apparently malfunctioned. A breaker to the unit was turned off until repairs could be made. The smoke in the building dissipated on its own.
Centralia firefighters confer with an Ameren employee about the fire. Photo by Tim Ferguson.
