LYNN — Seven people were left homeless after an electrical fire at a Western Avenue three-family home on Wednesday morning.
Lynn firefighters responded to 799 Western Ave. at 7:12 a.m. and had the working fire under control about 20 minutes later, Lynn Fire Capt. Joseph Zukas.
There were no injuries to residents, but a firefighter sustained a shoulder injury while battling the blaze, Zukas said.
Six adults and a child were displaced, with Red Cross responding to assist them, Zukas said.
The cause of the fire appears to be electrical, according to Zukas, and was predominantly contained to the upper floor and attic of the house.
The fire appears to have been accidental. In this case, the circuit breaker kept tripping, which indicates an electrical problem, but a resident kept resetting it rather than calling an electrician to see what the issue was. This continued resetting caused it to malfunction, according to Zukas.
If someone has an electrical problem in their house, they should call a licensed electrician to have it fixed, Zukas said, adding people should be cautious with electrical issues, because many fires are caused that way.
Zukas said the building is salvageable, since much of the damage was to the third floor ceiling and roof area, which is fixable.
The building, which is described as having a vinyl exterior with a tar and gravel roof cover, was built in 1910 and is assessed at $353,800. The total property value is assessed at $450,900, according to property records.