MEDFORD, Ore. – A fire on the Fourth of July at a Medford business began because of an electrical issue.
Medford Fire says it happened at AJ Smoke and Grocery Store on the corner of West Main St. and Western Avenue around 6:30.
No injuries were reported.
Medford Fire recently posted on Facebook sharing some tips on how you can avoid electrical fires.
Medford Fire says to remember that extension cords are meant for temporary use as they can only handle so much power before they become a fire hazard.
They also say never to ignore a circuit breaker that keeps tripping.
“Obviously if the breaker starts tripping and those sorts of things, that’s usually a sign that something’s not right, it’s actually doing its job,” Medford Fire Deputy Fire Marshal Samantha Metheny said. “When the breaker trips, it’s cutting the power so that you don’t have a failure somewhere. So, it’s an indicator that something might be causing that to fail.”
Metheny said you’ll want to make sure you aren’t running an extension cord through a wall or under a doorway or carpeting because the cord could get crushed or degrade over time.
She also recommends plugging any extension cords directly into an outlet instead of another extension cord.
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