Oncor Crew Could be at Center of House Fire Investigation

The Arlington Fire Department is investigating the possibility Oncor crews may have inadvertently started a house fire. Oncor workers removed the electric meter on the side of the house in the 1200 block of Brook Hill Lane, intending to replace it with a smart meter.

But Oncor said the workers discovered a broken bolt on the base attached to the house, and problems with the wiring inside. They left the meter off the house to repair the base later. And covered the area with a plastic cover.

"When they changed my meter out, my neighbor heard a 'pop' and smelled something and came out. And Oncor had a problem," said homeowner Tom Dolan.  "They had a little fire at my box and has to put it out with a little hand held extinguisher."

A short time later, a smoky fire broke out in the attic, leaving the single-story home heavily damaged. Fire investigators are looking at the possibility something Oncor did may have started the fire.

"It did (the fire) start in the attic near that side of the house with the meter," Arlington Fire Chief Jeff Holloway said. "It is a possibility. It's coincidental that the work was being done and there was an electrical short, or what we believe to be an electrical short in the attic."  

The Arlington fire department and Oncor are conducting separate investigations.

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