Parma firefighters respond to house fire caused by overheated electrical panel

FOX23 News at 9 p.m.

PARMA, Mo., (KBSI) — The Parma Department of Public Safety responded to a house fire Monday night after reports of smoke at a residence in the 200 block of South Dixie.

According to the department, firefighters arrived around 9:30 p.m. and found moderate smoke coming from a back bedroom as residents were evacuating. Crews traced the source to one of the home’s secondary electrical panels, which had overheated.

Firefighter Brewer isolated power to the damaged panel and transferred essential circuits to the primary panel, allowing smoke conditions to improve quickly.

Firefighters also inspected the attic, interior walls and exterior walls to ensure no additional hazards were present.

The department said the home did not have working smoke alarms. A smoke alarm was provided to ensure the residents had protection for the night.