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HOUSE FIRE • Faulty wiring was probably the cause of this house fire at the home of David and Debbie Mosteller in Nephi. Nephi, Mona and Levan Units were called to fight the fire. The home had recently been remodeled but the cause of the fire was probably a nail driven over 68 years ago and just now caused the electrical short. In the inset, Debbie Mosteller is comforted by her mother, Joyce Bracken of Nephi. The house was a complete loss.
By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
The home of David and Deborah Mosteller, at 475 N. 400 E., was destroyed by fire Friday morning.
"The fire was reported at 10:08 Friday morning," said Brett Ostler, Juab County Fire Marshal and Assistant Nephi City Fire Chief.
Two engines from Nephi City Fire Department and one engine each from Mona and Levan responded to the fire.
"We had the initial fire out within 30 minutes," said Ostler. "We stayed on the scene until 6 p.m. that evening."
He said that there was no way to have prevented the electrical fire because it was started in a strange way.
"The fire was started by a sheetrock nail that had gone into an electrical wire," said Ostler. "Over time the nail wore into the wiring and caused the fire."
The home was first wired in 1968, he said. In those days, there were less stringent building codes than there are today. Now code calls for nail plates to be used but that was not the case in 1968.
The state fire marshal visited the site and he and Ostler determined the cause of the fire. They also both estimated the home as a total loss with damages to the home stricture of approximately $160,000.
"We estimated that, just from Nephi City Fire Fighter Volunteers, we had 81 volunteer man hours. We also had a good response from Mona and Levan but do not have those man hours."
The East Juab Ambulance Emergency Medical Technicians were also at the scene to administer first aid and medical help as needed.
"We did have one individual, a fire fighter, who was still inside when the ceiling collapsed," said Ostler.
It is standard procedure to transport such individuals to the hospital for an examination. Even though the fire fighter was not seriously injured, as a precaution, he was examined and released.
The day of the fire was very hot, said Ostler. Therefore, fire fighters at the scene were kept hydrated and were carefully monitored by the EMTs.
He said the fire district had adopted the policy of always having a EMTs on standby at the scene of a fire to assist fire fighters.
The heavy protective clothing the fire fighters wear and the compressed air tanks they carry when they go inside a building can mean that they can get heat exhaustion fairly quickly. Therefore, each time a fire fighter comes back outside after being in the fire, they are given the once-over by the EMTs.
"The ambulance crew did an awesome job," said Ostler.
The Mosteller's insurance company had not shown up at the time Ostler's report was made, he said, so he did not know if they would consider the home worth rebuilding or not.
The state fire Marshal and Ostler, however, estimated the structure as being a total loss.
"I know David is hoping that his insurance company will let him rebuild the home," said Ostler.
He said that, after fire fighters had dampened down the fire and were able to go inside, they began covering the furniture and personal belongings with tarps to help prevent further damage. He said that was also standard procedure.
"We call that salvage and overhaul," he said. "The Mostellers did have a lot of smoke and water damage."
The sheetrock nail which caused the fire had been in place for more than 43 years before having reached the state that it could be responsible for causing a house fire.
"Who would have thought that, 43 years later, the nail would reach the point where it would cause a fire?" he asked.
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