Electrical Malfunction Caused Cathedral City House Fires
Cathedral City fire investigators confirm a house fire that erupted Monday evening was caused by an electrical malfunction in an outdoor extension cord in the back yard.
The fire started just after 5 p.m. Monday on El Dobe in Cathedral City, near Sunny Sands Elementary School.
Firefighters battled the fire in temperatures soaring past 111-degrees, and one was transported to a local hospital for heat-related illness.
The fire eventually spread to a home next-door, which was empty and facing foreclosure.
Fire investigators estimate damage at $200,000 to $250,000. Cathedral City’s fire chief said 80-percent of the second home was destroyed.
