Squirrel Burns Down House

[bloodrayne]

Squirrel Blamed For House Fire

Athens, Georgia - A squirrel apparently started a fire in a home Friday when it meddled with power lines, according to an Athens Utilities manager.

Gary Scroggins, head of AU's electric department, said the bushy-tailed critter climbed atop a transformer and reached up to touch the primary electric wire.

The primary wire possibly struck and sent a huge jolt of electricity into the secondary wire running to 402 Crestview St., but Scroggins said he couldn't say for sure what had happened.

"We do know we have a dead squirrel. He was charred pretty badly," he said.

It appeared the breaker in the home's service panel failed to disconnect, Scroggins said.

"The house service panel was melted, and according to the firemen, that looks like where it started," Scroggins said.

The den and utility room of the house suffered heavy damage in the 2 p.m. blaze, said Athens Fire Lt. Tony Kirk.

The owner, Owen W. Griggs, was not home at the time, and a neighbor called 911.

"It was originally called in as a grass fire. The neighbor went out towards it and saw the house was on fire," Kirk said.

Squirrels often cause trouble for utilities workers by climbing on poles and wires, but their tightrope acts rarely have the awful finale seen Friday.

"Normally the primary won't make contact with the secondary line. . . . Normally, it causes us to have to go out and reset a fuse or something," he said.

"We have a program now in areas where we have squirrel problems. It's a PVC cover that goes over that insulator where the squirrel can't reach up and touch the primary line," Scroggins said.

The transformer on Crestview Street wasn't covered, but workers may install a cover along with the transformer's replacement.

"That area has not been real bad about squirrels, but it only takes one sometimes," Scroggins said.

[mothermold]

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[Yellow Jacket]

We found a suspect...