Fire Chief: Eletrical Panel May Have Caused Business Fire

Fire fighters battled an electrical fire at on 1217 West Chester Pike on Wednesday afternoon.

. Fire Chief John Viola told the Haverford-Havertown Patch that the owner of the business, which does home remodeling, called 911 after seeing sparks and fire “shooting out of the electrical box” that was in the basement of the business.

Viola said the owner, Ron Hoofven, tried to get back down into the basement but could not because of the heavy smoke and evacuated the building, where the business is on the first floor. 

Viola also said that tenants of the apartments on the second floor of the building safely evacuated on their own.

No one was injured during the incident, Viola said, adding that the estimated 12:30 p.m. fire was under control within 25 minutes.

Hoofven told Patch that after he saw the electrical box blow up, he called 911 and then tried to go back down into the basement to find his fire extinguisher.

“My mind went blank. I couldn’t remember where I put it,” he said of his fire extinguisher, adding that he made a quick retreat up the stairs and out of the building. Hoofven has owned the business for 20 years, he said.

Viola said the fire marshal has to still investigate what caused the fire and what the extent of the damage is, but did say that the basement and first floor were damage but did not know the details as he had not been in the building as of yet.

John Steindt, of Kimberley Vassal Insurance Services, Ltd., said that he has insured Hoofven’s business for nearly 20 years and that the owner of the building could not be reached.  

The following fire and rescue companies were present at the fire: Brookline, Manoa, , , , and the Garrettford-Drexel Hill Fire Company.  

The Haverford Township Police Department closed down the westbound lane of West Chester Pike from Eagle to Manoa roads, but reopened the pike at 2:45 p.m.