Cause Of Home Fire Nailed Down

An extension cord nailed to a teenager’s bedroom wall caught fire Sunday, causing $10,000 in damage to a Ponderosa home, Valley Fire officials said.

The house fire began about 10 a.m. Sunday, in the 4200 block of S. University. One of the family’s sons had nailed an extension cord to the wall to install a “black light” in the basement bedroom, which he shared with his brother. He nailed the cord between its two internal wires, causing it to generate heat over several weeks, and finally catch on fire, fire officials said.

The fire began while the teens played games upstairs with friends. The boys broke a basement window and fed an outside hose into the bedroom, putting out the flames.

The fire damaged a bed, television and wall, and caused smoke damage throughout the home.

Fire officials warn homeowners never to attach extension cords to a wall with nails, but instead to find special screws designed for that purpose.

, DataTimes