Authorities say two occupants of a Scottsbluff home were able to escape safely as an electrical fire broke out in the residence Wednesday night.
Fire Marshal Anthony Murphy says just after 8 p.m. were called to the 2600 block of Addison Avenue in Scottsbluff, finding heavy smoke, evidence of a small explosion, and a fuse box that was glowing red and smoking.
Murphy says the residents had already fled the home, and fire crews disconnected the electric supply, extinguished the smoldering fire and used portable fans to ventilate smoke from the structure.
The fire was determined to be accidental, caused by a loose connection in a fuse holder, and repairs to the electrical system and structure are estimated at $10,000.
The Gering Fire Department, Valley Ambulance, Nebraska Public Power District, and Black Hills Energy also responded to the scene.
Murphy urged the public to have working smoke alarms which are less than ten years old, on every floor, and inside and outside of sleeping areas.
