Window fan starts fire in Danforth apartment

DANFORTH — A window fan is suspected to be the cause of a fire Sunday that damaged an apartment above the True Value Hardware Store in Danforth.

The fire broke out at about 2:30 p.m. About a dozen Danforth firefighters with two trucks fought the fire before bringing it under control 30 minutes later.

According to firefighters, the fire gutted one room of the apartment and caused smoke and heat damage to the other rooms.

The hardware store on the first floor received some smoke and water damage, but firefighters said damage there was minimal.

Robert McMahon of Caribou, an investigator with the state Fire Marshal’s Office, said information he received indicated that the fire was caused when the electrical circuit in the window fan began to arc.

He said two children were in the apartment at the time, but they were able to get out and call the fire department.