Electrical fire in apartment complex leaves residents without power

October 2018

A fire in the basement of a Carlton apartment complex has left a dozen residents without electricity.

The fire, which was electrical in nature, was reported at 10 a.m. on Wednesday the 4th of October when several apartment units experienced simultaneous electrical outages.

Once reported the fire was quickly put out, although damages to the wiring of the building has resulted in several of the apartment units being without electricity.

The apartment complex where the fire took place sits at the corner of Cardigan and Lytton streets in Carlton, Melbourne.

Richard _____, caretaker of the property and first to the scene, described the situation as under control.

“It was just a small electrical fire, no one was hurt,” Mr. _____ said.

Occupants of the affected units gathered together in the courtyard of the apartment complex, waiting for updates.

Many of the residents expressed annoyance with the situation, as no estimate for when power would return had been given.

Alisa ____, a long-term occupant of the complex, which was built in 1974, conveyed her frustration at the upkeep and maintenance of the apartments.

“It’s an old building. Accidents will happen, I know that. But this is getting ridiculous,” she said.

According to an announcement by Mr. _____ the fire was caused by outdated wiring and an overload of the system.

The gathered occupants seemed unsurprised at the cause of the fire, and quickly dispersed when it was declared that a timeline for power reconnection would be communicated through email.

The Carlton apartment complex has a history of maintenance issues, with problems involving the automatic gates and the elevator being relatively common.

Mr. Richard _____ agreed that the building required a lot of upkeep.

“Only so much I can do,” Mr. _____ said.

Further information will be sent out to residents shortly.