Jasper home heavily damaged in basement fire (updated)

Update: Authorities suspect a light ballast caused the fumes from the stain and glue remover to combust in the house fire.

Total damages are still unknown.

Original: Jasper volunteer firefighters responded to a house fire on W. 14th St. early Sunday morning.

According to Fire Chief Kenny Hochgesang, units were called to the 1202 W. 14th St. home belonging to George Ellis at about 4:19 a.m. When units arrived they found smoke billowing from the bottom of the structure.

Hochgesang said that no one was home when the fire started. Ellis and the family dog had stayed the night at his parents’ home located behind the home involved in the fire. Ellis said he stayed at his parents’ because he had been staining some wood and removing glue from carpet in the home’s finished basement.

Ellis said he heard something that alerted him to the fire and he called authorities.

The basement of the home bore the brunt of the damage although there was heat and smoke damage throughout the home. Hochgesang said he felt the fire started in the basement due to the extent of the damage there.

He added that a supporting beam in the basement did collapse due to the fire.

Five trucks and 34 firefighters responded to the fire and were on the scene for one hour and 40 minutes.

The Jasper Police Department and Memorial Hospital Emergency Medical Services assisted.