House fire that displaced family of 4 in Garden City caused by electrical cord issue

No one was injured but four people in Garden City were temporarily displaced by a house fire Wednesday night, according to Boise Fire Department officials.

The fire was reported just after 7 p.m. in the 300 block of 44th St. It started in the master bedroom of the single-story house, spokeswoman Char Jackson told the Statesman.

Investigators determined that the fire was accidental, caused by electrical arcing in a window air conditioner power cord.

“A pet cat may have chewed the wire in the area of the arcing in the electrical power supply cord,” Jackson said via email.

The master bedroom had significant smoke and fire damage, and the hallway had smoke and heat damage.

The residents of the house are receiving assistance from the Boise Burnout Fund, and the American Red Cross is providing temporary housing.

This story was originally published August 29, 2019 at 1:34 PM.