Fire causes $1,000 in damage to West State Street house

Junior Tom Yokoyama came home Friday afternoon to find his closet scorched and some of his clothes burnt.

A flawed power strip might have caused a fire that ignited earlier that afternoon at his house on West State Street, one that could have easily consumed the entire house if his roommate Patrick Gehrlich had not been home, Athens Fire Chief Robert Troxel said.

I'd strongly suggest that people make sure they have a power strip with a circuit breaker

Troxel said, adding that this was the first time he'd seen a fire start because of a power strip.

Gehrlich was taking a nap when he heard the fire alarm sound and he was able to put most of the fire out with an extinguisher before the fire department arrived. They took only about two minutes to get to the house after he called, he added.

The fire left the residents with about $1,000 of damage.

cm430506@ohiou.edu