Dover, Ohio (WJER) - City firefighters had to be called in to finish the job Tuesday morning after a resident attempted to extinguish an attic fire, only to have it reignite about an hour later. 

Dover Fire Captain Brooks Ross says they were called to 715 Race St. in Dover around11:45 am to find smoke coming from a ceiling vent leading to the attic space. He says crews discovered smoldering insulation in the attic and had to break through part of the ceiling into a bedroom below to expose all the burning areas.

“I guess they had a small fire that they had discovered earlier in the morning in the attic, and they had tried to put it out themselves, thought they had it out so they didn’t call the fire department, and then I believe an hour or two, an hour and a half later, they realized that the attic was still on fire,” he says.

Ross says they are still working to determine a cause of that fire… (though they suspect it’s electrical in nature)

“We’re not sure if it was the wiring itself or if the renters possibly had space heaters and stuff plugged in that was drawing a lot of current,” he says. “Right now, we’re just listing it as under investigation but it was electrical in nature somehow.” 

Ross says they are also working to figure out a damage estimate. The Red Cross is helping the family with housing until repairs can be made.  

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