Malfunctioning Exhaust Fan Causes Smoke Scare on East Side

An overheated exhaust fan caused a scare for one family on the east side.

Firefighters were called to East Johnson Street residence after smoke started emanating from a light fixture about their kitchen sink. The family gathered the pets and began to evacuate as Engine Company 3 and other crews responded.

Firefighters noted an old exhaust fan mounted on the wall near the stove was heavily covered in grease and clocked in at 270 degrees Fahrenheit on a thermal imaging camera. The occupants had turn on exhaust fan about 2-3 hours earlier and didn’t think the fan worked since the blades did not spin.

Power to the entire first floor was shut down, and the house was ventilated to remove the small amount of smoke. While checking other floors to ensure the smoke and heat hadn’t spread, Engine 3 noted the home wasn’t equipped with a carbon monoxide detector. They provided one to the family, who said they’d only been in the rental property for about a week.

The property owner was advised to contact an electrician to have the fan checked. Power remained off, and the fan motor was unplugged. Nobody was injured, and all occupants and pets were invited to return inside.