Nobody was hurt in a Wednesday morning fire caused by a malfunctioning electrical breaker box at a house on the 100 block of Maxton Lane in James City County.
The box, located in the basement of the home, caught on fire, which set the adjacent walls on fire. Three people were in the house and smelled smoke and saw the fire, so they called 911 at 7:59 a.m. Units were on scene in less than three minutes, and the fire was out within 10 minutes of their arrival, said Billy Apperson of the James City-Bruton Volunteer Fire Department.
Apperson said the fire damage to the house is minimal, though he noted the house sustained extensive smoke damage. Units are still on scene removing smoke from the house. He said the house sustained “practically no structural damage,” estimating the total damage to be at least $10,000.
Along with the James City-Bruton volunteers, units from the James City County Fire Department and the York County Division of Fire and Life Safety responded to the fire.
The fire happened at a house a few doors down from one where a woman died in a December fire later ruled to be accidental. Maxton Lane is located off Croaker Road near the James City County Library.
