The cause of a July 14 fire destroying most of a single-family home in South Decatur remains unknown according to Deputy Fire Chief Stephanie Harpring.
“It appears to have started in the attic,” said Harpring, who completed her investigation Monday. “The only thing we haven’t ruled out as a cause is electrical failure, but we can’t prove it either.”
Harpring said there were five people in the house when a passerby spotted smoke pouring out of the attic. No persons or pets were hurt, though one firefighter was treated at the hospital.
A GoFundMe page as been created to raise money for the family, identified on local blog Decatur Metro as the Hadleys, with a fundraiser and donation event also scheduled for 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday at the corner of McDonough Road and Oakview Road, near the home.
Hapring said Monday that because of this fire Decatur may consider installing heat sensors, particularly in those houses with attics lacking air conditioning.
She added that in her 12 years with the DFD she remembers only one other comparable house fire, on nearby West Benson Street in 2014. She said that during her tenure the city has suffered no fire fatalities.
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