Aquarium Light Catches Fire, Then Self-Extinguishes After Falling Into Tank

Firefighters responded to a single-family residence on Inwood Way, where they found significant black smoke coming from the basement. The dense smoke offered no visibility as Engine Company 5 made its way to the basement floor.

A thorough search of the basement confirmed nobody was downstairs, but firefighters did encounter a number of aquariums and terrariums. They continued to search for the source of the smoke but did not find actual fire.

Eventually, Engine Co. 5 located an aquarium light had been on fire but had since fallen into the aquarium below, causing it to self-extinguish. All human occupants were able to safely escape the home, but an unknown number of fish perished in the aquarium where the fire occurred.

The family has been temporarily displaced due to the amount of smoke damage that occurred. Although the exact source of the fire is not known at this time, fire investigators ruled the fire unintentional and accidental due malfunctioning fish tank equipment.