BUCYRUS―Bucyrus Firefighters battled a blaze at a home on East Kilbourne Drive early Saturday morning.
According to the report by the Bucyrus Fire Department, the call came in from one of the panicked homeowners with an address in Tiro on Hillborne Street at 4:05 a.m. It was discovered that the caller gave the wrong address at 4:16 a.m. and the Bucyrus Fire Department was dispatched to the scene.
Upon arrival at the home of Richard and Cindy Bays, 125 E. Kilbourne Drive., firefighters discovered that the fire had started in the basement and spread to the first floor. More units were called in to assist through an all-page. Four engines were at the scene until around 5:30 a.m.
According to the report, it appears that the fire may have been caused by an electrical issue in a freezer that was located in the basement of the home. Richard Bays told firefighters they had been experiencing issues with the freezer recently and were planning to purchase a new one.
The family had working smoke detectors in the home that awakened them to the fire. It is noted by firefighters in the report that the smoke detectors quite possibly saved the lives of the occupants.
Portsmouth Ambulance Service personnel also assisted at the scene but no injuries were reported. AEP and the city’s water department were also at the scene. According to the report, the family’s dog was located in an upstairs bedroom by firefighters.
The Bays family has homeowner’s insurance. No estimated amount of damage was released at this time.