What is believed to be the oldest home in Summit caught fire Tuesday night, causing some $60,000 in damage, Summit Fire Chief Stan McMorris said.
The house, located at 1101 Robb St., caught fire around 11 p.m., McMorris said.
He said firefighters responded to a call from neighbors and found the rear of the house in flame.
McMorris said faulty exterior wiring appears to have been the cause.
“As the fire got going, the carport on the back collapsed and ruptured the gas meter, then the gas spread the fire quickly on to the rear of the house,” he said, adding that it looks like the fire started beneath the home.
Seven people were in the house at the time, but all of them were able to get out safely.
The family did lose their dog in the fire.
McMorris said the State Fire Marshal assessed the scene and determined the cause was electrical.
McMorris said the home is not inhabitable for now.
Firefighters stayed on the scene cleaning up until 3 a.m. Wednesday.
The house at the intersection of Magnolia and Robb streets, across from the Star Drive-In, now belongs to Linda Erwin. It was built in the 1850s by Solomon Hyman, the town’s first mayor and organizer of the Bank of Summit.
