Light fixture blamed in garage fire

McCOOK, Nebraska -- McCook and State of Nebraska fire investigators blame a short in a light fixture for the fire that burned a detached garage at 1104 E. Fourth in McCook Sunday afternoon.

McCook Fire Chief Marc Harpham reports that the electrical short created an arc that ignited materials in the garage rafters/attic. The burning materials fell onto a vehicle inside the garage as well as onto a second vehicle parked outside the garage.

The vehicle in the garage and some of the garage contents were deemed a total loss. The second vehicle, outside the garage, was damaged. Initial damages are estimated at $10,000.

The garage and vehicles are owned by Vernon Leibrandt of McCook.

Harpham wrote in a press release this morning that his firefighters had the fire under control within seven minutes of their arrival. The fire was reported at 1:02 p.m.

Fifteen firefighters, one pumper truck and an ambulance were on the scene for 3 1/2 hours extinguishing and investigating the fire.