Fire causes $25,000 in damage to Falls home

Menomonee Falls - A Menomonee Falls residence incurred $25,000 in damage after a fire sparked in the home's attic early Friday evening.

The Menomonee Falls Fire Department responded to a structure fire at W124 N7393 Oakwood Drive at 5:59 p.m. Friday, six minutes after the call went out to dispatch. According to Fire Chief Jeff Hevey, the fire's ignition source was a recessed light in the attic. The damage to the structure was estimated at $20,000 and contents worth $5,000 were damaged.

"There was a significant savings there," Hevey said. "For the amount of damage that was accumulated, the guys did a pretty good job of getting in there and knocking it down really quickly."

Although Hevey was not on scene, he said history has shown that recessed lights tend to be heavily covered by insulation. Due to the heat from the bulbs, the surrounding insulation dries out over a long period of time which can spark a fire.

"If you have insulation on (recessed bulbs), they can't breathe, so clear the insulation around them and make sure you have the proper bulb size," he said. "Those are two easy preventive things people can do."

Hevey said recessed lights should be no more than 60 watt bulbs.