A CHRISTMAS EVE FIRE IN LE MARS HAS LEFT A FAMILY TEMPORARILY HOMELESS.
THE LE MARS FIRE-RESCUE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO A HOUSE FIRE AT 618 PLYMOUTH STREET S.E. AROUND 8:20PM WEDNESDAY AND FOUND HEAVY SMOKE COMING FROM THE BASEMENT OF THE HOUSE.
THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED VERY QUICKLY AND FIREFIGHTERS VENTILATED THE HOME.
THE BASEMENT AND MAIN FLOOR OF THE SINGLE-STORY RANCH STYLE HOME SUFFERED HEAVY SMOKE AND SOOT DAMAGE.
NO PEOPLE WERE HOME AT THE TIME OF THE FIRE AND THE FAMILY CAME HOME AND FOUND SMOKE IN THE HOUSE AND CALLED 9-1-1.
THEIR DOG WAS INSIDE AND WAS SAVED WITH FIREFIGHTERS USING A PET OXYGEN MASK TO ASSIST THE DOG.
INVESTIGATORS SAY THE FIRE WAS LOCATED IN THE BASEMENT FAMILY ROOM WITH THE CAUSE RULED ACCIDENTAL LIKELY STARTING WHEN LITHIUM BATTERIES EXPLODED WHILE BEING CHARGED IN A HOVERBOARD.
THE EXPLODED BATTERIES WERE FOUND BLOWN ACROSS THE BASEMENT ROOM.
DAMAGE TO THE STRUCTURE AND CONTENTS IS ESTIMATED AT $95,000.
THE HOME, OWNED AND OCCUPIED BY THE COREY AND JAMIE SPANGLER FAMILY, IS NOT ABLE TO BE OCCUPIED AT THIS TIME.
Photo from Le Mars Fire Dept.
