Fire destroys home in Lake Fairways
An electrical fire, possibly caused by lightning, destroyed a home at the Lake Fairways Mobile Home and Country Club community last Tuesday.
The fire was called in at around 6 a.m. by a neighbor walking past the home on Grenelefe Court, according to Christi Kulwicki with the North Fort Myers Fire and Rescue.
There was nobody in the residence, as the owners live up north in the summer, Kulwicki said.
The fire started in the back bedroom. Kulwicki said storms were in the area and that the fire could have started either by faulty wiring or by lighting striking the home, the latter of which had not yet been confirmed.
The state fire marshal said the fire did not appear to be suspicious.
Kulwicki suggested some general safety precautions for those who need to leave their homes for a while.
“You should always have someone looking after the home and make sure you unplug things such as the coffee pot and shut down any breakers that you won’t be using,” Kulwicki said. “There are things we know you won’t need, like the stove.”
In referencing to the fire on its Facebook page, the Fire District also reinforced the importance of testing smoke alarms regularly and replacing alarms older than 10 years old. Alarms should be installed inside and outside of sleeping areas, officials said.
“That’s something we always drive into people in homes that are occupied. Your chances of dying in a fire are reduced by 50 percent if you have a working smoke alarm,” Kulwicki said.