Knob-and-tube wiring, what was suspected to be the cause of the fire above La Diperie last week, was not the direct cause.
Instead, an investigation has found that it was a squirrel.
"A squirrel had ‘interacted’ with one of the electrical lines in the attic, where it appears it was nesting," Neil Anderson, fire chief for the City of Stratford, said in an emailed statement. "We suspect it chewed the wire, but we can’t say unequivocally that it didn’t get entangled in it."
Anderson explained that the live wire was separated at the location of the fire, which was determined based upon the burn patterns, damage, the separated wire, evidence of squirrel activity, and witness statements.
The heat and subsequent flame in the attic was forced downward due to a lack of many fire stops in the wall. The fire burned below the attic, which is what caused fire damage to the wall of one apartment.
The squirrel in question was not found during firefighting operations, Anderson shared.
