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Sunday, May 05, 2002. Sunny and Hot. 85°
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BREAKING NEWS
Fire on the Edge of Town
No one hurt in house destroying fire on ranch.
Push - The Push Fire Department and Sheriff's Office were called to a fire late Tuesday on the east edge of town in response to an anonymous phone call to 911. They were notified at about 5:00 PM and showed up about 20 minutes later to find that the structure was engulfed in flames. They made sure to contain the fire from spreading to the nearby brush and the Interstate, but the structure burned to the ground.
No one was hurt in the fire. The authorities have been unable to locate the owner of the house at this time. They would only say that the owner works for the Versailles Casino and has not been contacted since the incident.
Both departments are investigating the cause of the fire. A preliminary investigation pointed to faulty wiring on the first floor of the 6,700 square foot compound. Authorities are looking at an old air conditioning unit that may have been at the root of the problem.
The Fire Dept Captain expressed his concern. "It appears that this fire was caused electrically. We have pinpointed the area where the fire began, and believe that a 1984 air conditioning unit may have shorted the main fuse box. The unit was totally destroyed. Out here in the heat these things sometimes get overheated. We have had a few problems with these over the years."
Ten to twenty year old air conditioning units have been known to short out, and have caused house fires in the past. In 1994, former Push High School teacher and his wife lost their home in the Hampton Homes development complex in what investigators deemed an "air conditioning short out." The Belwoods later settled a lawsuit with the AC manufacturing company.
Push's Sheriff said, "The fire department is leading the investigation because it was a fire with no evidence of foul play or arson. We are aiding in trying to locate the owner, but as far as finding out how the fire started, it is up to the fire department. Of course, the Sheriff's Office is ready to assist if and when we are needed."
The house was on a ranch on the outside of town. The rest of the ranch was left unharmed.
The last fire Push had of this magnitude occurred in 2000. Ray's Diner burned to the ground after serving Push citizens for 28 years. A small grease fire caused the larger fire when one of the cooks was preparing food for the next day. No one was injured, but the business never rebuilt and owner left town relatively soon after it happened.
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