KITCHENER -- Officials believe an electrical issue is to blame for a fire that destroyed a Cambridge home Thursday night.
The fire started around 8 p.m. in the basement of the home at 154 Holland Circle in the north-end of Hespeler.
A man and his son were the only ones inside at the time.
“[The homeowner] said he turned one of the breakers on and then about 20 seconds later their basement went completely black,” said neighbour Matt Dicks. “They got out immediately. He’s pretty distraught but they seem OK.”
Crews arrived on scene soon after receiving the 911 call but the fire spread quickly.
“Within two minutes it was engulfed in flames,” said neighbour Irene Marshall-Mintz.
Once firefighters went inside the home they realized the structure was unsafe.
“The crews went in on the main floor and the floor was spongey,” said Chief Neil Main of the Cambridge Fire Department. “It was soft when the crews walked in it so they backed up a little bit and sprayed the hose through the basement windows.”
The flames spread from the basement to the first floor, then to the second floor and ultimately through to the attic.
That’s when crews began working to protect the homes on either side of the property.
“We assigned crews to monitor those two homes and put a hose line in between to protect the exposures so the flames and heat wouldn’t affect the homes beside it.”
Two dogs and a cat also escaped without injury, though a second cat died in the fire.
The man and his son are now staying with family out of town.
Officials say damage to the home is estimated at $800,000, calling it a complete write-off.
Their preliminary findings indicate that an electrical issue is to blame and the fire is not considered suspicious.
