No one was injured in a smoldering electrical fire at 41 Shore Road about 2:41 p.m. Tuesday.
The fire and smoke in the home was apparently sparked by an excavator for a house under construction next door at 43 Shore Road reportedly hitting the electrical service and damaging the meter to the home at No. 41, according to fire Chief Eric Smith and witnesses at the scene.
Gloucester Firefighters responding the working fire said on Facebook they were dealing with “a complex situation” involving a “smoldering fire” that was electrical in nature with National Grid on scene, according to a Facebook post by Gloucester Firefighters Local 762.
The firefighters’ post said National Grid could not turn off the power from the street and firefighters were keeping the fire contained from progressing while National Grid worked to turn the power off. The incident happened on a narrow, one-way waterside road in a neighborhood of single-family homes overlooking the mouth of Magnolia Harbor.
Light smoke could be seen wafting from the garage of the single-story raised ranch style house while firefighters went in and out of the house while fire Smith and fire officials could be seen going back and forth between the properties.
Smith said in an interview that from what he could gather, an excavator working at 43 Shore Road hooked the underground electrical service to 45, 43 and 41 Shore Road. Smith added there was some debate as to whether the service was marked or not.
When the excavator hooked the wires it damaged the meter to house at No. 41, causing the power to arc, Smith said. Because the electrical panel may have been grounded to the water system, Smith said there was evidence the copper plumbing lines were energized due to charring.
Because it took time for National Grid to cut the power due to the damage to the meter, firefighters had to open up areas of the home and use a dry chemical extinguisher to keep any fire in check until the power could be shut off and water could be used on any hot spots.
Smith said there could be fairly extensive damage to the home. There were no injuries reported to those living in the home or to firefighters.
“It’s unfortunate it happened and we will make sure the neighbors are as comfortable as possible and we know them well,” said Beth Gibeley, the owner and manager of Bravo by the Sea in Manchester who with her husband, Ron Nordin, are renovating the home at 43 Shore Road.
The couple is living nearby while their home is being renovated. Gibeley said they heard what happened from neighbors and came right over.
The tenants of 41 Shore Road, Nick and Lynn Kimball, got out unscathed and stood at the front of the property with their Siberian cat, Dima, confined to a cat carrier.
“We were both working at home and all of a sudden all of the power went out and we know there has been digging in the back yard next door which is where our electrical and cable conduits run and so they had dug up one of the conduits but only partially cut the power,” Nick Kimball said.
“So that caused electrical fires in the junction box and I guess throughout the house we haven’t been able to get in since.”
When asked if he could see fire, Nick Kimball said he could see smoke.
“When we were getting out of the house there was definitely smoke inside,” he said.
About 6 p.m. Tuesday, Smith said the department had left a pumper and had a crew on standby to keep watch in case any fire flared up.
Ethan Forman may be contacted at 978-675-2714, or at eforman@northofboston.com.