At 3:21 AM on Thursday, January 31, the occupant of a home at 2526 Ave. B East in Bismarck called 911 to report a fire in the attic of his home.

The occupant stated his dog was barking about an hour previous to the report of fire. His investigation determined that there was no power on the main floor. He called the homeowner and they determined that the furnace was still running and that they would wait until morning to fix the issue. About an hour later his dog started barking again and he heard a loud “bang”. His investigation found that the access door to the attic had blown out and that there was fire in the attic. He alerted all other occupants of the home, sprayed a dry chemical extinguisher into the fire area, evacuated the home and called 911.

Upon arrival, firefighters encountered light smoke and a small fire smoldering in the attic. The crew used a water extinguisher to put out the remaining fire. No injuries were reported and an estimate of damage was approximately $10,000. After investigation, the source of the fire was determined to be related to electrical wiring in the attic.

The Bismarck Fire Department would like to remind all citizens to make sure they have fully functioning smoke detectors throughout their home.