By Bay City News Service:
A fire that displaced an East Palo Alto family on Sunday afternoon appears to have started with the wiring in an illegal addition, a fire investigator said Monday.
The fire was reported at about 1:30 p.m. in the 2600 block of Fordham Street, fire investigator Jon Johnston said.
The fire had started in an illegal addition at the back of the house and spread to the main living area. While it was mainly confined to the two rooms, smoke and heat damage permeated the small house, Johnston said.
There were six people living in the home including two children who were displaced, he said. The cause appears to have been electrical and extension cords going to the illegal addition are believed to have contributed, but it remains under investigation, Johnston said.
On Thursday night, another house fire in East Palo Alto left six adults and a baby displaced, Johnston said.
That fire was reported at 9:21 p.m. in the 2500 block of Hazelwood Way, he said.
It began when combustible material was left too close to the hot water heater in the garage, Johnston said.
Someone opened the door to the garage, saw the fire, and left the door open, which allowed the fire to spread to the rest of the house, Johnston said. The garage was destroyed and the damage to the house was significant.
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