By John Collins
LOWELL — A two-alarm fire Friday morning that heavily damaged a two-story home at 124 Foster St. appears to have originated with a faulty electrical light in the basement, Lowell Fire Department Deputy Chief Joe Roth reported.
Firefighters responded to the first alarm at 8 a.m., and arrived within minutes to find smoke coming from the basement, toward the rear of the building, according to Roth.
Neither of the two property owners of record, Meredith McElroy and Joanne Trudell, were home when the fire broke out, and there no other occupants, nor injuries, Roth said.
The initial investigation showed the fire likely began with a light fixture above a work bench in the basement, before spreading to the first and second floors, the deputy chief said.
“The fire extended up through the chimney void, into the wall and into the first floor, with some minor extension into the second,” Roth said. “According to the homeowner, she doesn’t use that light fixture, so it was probably some malfunction internally.”
The two-bedroom, 1,500-square foot home, which has an assessed building value of $88,000 was built in 1940, according to city records.
“There is extensive damage, as we had to open up wherever the fire was burning inside the walls,” Roth said.
The home’s co-owners were seen conversing with Roth shortly after the fire was brought fully under control at about 9:30 a.m. Roth escorted them inside to survey the damage to their home.
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