Faulty wiring suspected in fire

The Olney Volunteer Fire Department put out a fire at a home on West Elm Street last week that the city’s fire inspector said was probably caused by faulty wiring.

Olney Police Chief Dan Birbeck and OVFD Fire Chief Clint Pulliam said the home was a total loss.

The fire began in the back part of the house in the 900 block of West Elm Street last Monday, and gutted that part of the structure, Chief Birbeck said.

Young County crews also responded to the fire with water tanker trucks.

The residents were not cooking at the time, and the fire seemed to erupt from wiring that was not installed by a licensed electrician, Chief Birbeck said.

Fire inspector Dustin Hudson tentatively identified the cause as faulty wiring but will file a final report later, he said.

“It’s always a good idea to have a licensed electrician work on the power system in your house and when you bypass code it puts your house at risk,” Chief Birbeck said.

No one was injured in the fire, he said.