Downed Lines Ignite Louis Street Car, House

The thunderstorms that moved through the area Sunday night downed a power line that subsequently caused a car and a Louis Street house to catch fire.

Fire Director Robert Rawls said the fire started around 7 p.m. Sunday from a primary tower line that fell to the sidewalk and ignited a car.

The wire also lit a water main pipe that led into a Louis Street house, reported by the Breaking News Network as 44 Louis St.

The fire to spread inside the walls of both the first and second floors of the house, Rawls said.

The first floor of the house was unoccupied, and Rawls was unsure if the second floor was occupied.

There were no injuries reported to tenants, but one firefighter was taken to the hospital for heat exhaustion and smoke inhalation, treated and released, Rawls said.

The house sustained water damage and was damaged when the walls had to be broken open to access the flames, Rawls said.

On Monday afternoon, the city water utility could be seen working outside the house and deactivated power lines were still reaching down to the sidewalk.