Investigators say arcing in an electrical conduit sparked the Sept. 26 blaze at the Troutville Fire Training Center

By Laurence Hammack
The Roanoke Times

BOTETOURT COUNTY, Va. — A fire that caused major damage to Botetourt County’s fire training center in September was caused by an electrical wiring failure, an investigation has determined.

At about 5:14 a.m. on Sept. 26, firefighters responded to a blaze at the Troutville facility, which serves as a training center for firefighting and emergency services.

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“A segment of electrical conduit was noted to have what appeared to be an opening, as though a large-gauge electrical wire may have arced and caused a failure within the conduit,” the Botetourt County Fire & EMS Department said in a news release Tuesday night.

Results of the investigation have been turned over to the insurance company for the property.

“Once confirmed, the insurance company will work with the county and Troutville Fire Department to determine the amount of coverage to restore an operational training facility on the same grounds,” the release stated.

Jason Ferguson, chief of the Fire & EMS Department, said it was too early to estimate the cost of damage to the building and its contents.

Ferguson told the county board of supervisors Tuesday that the insurance carrier has already agreed to issue an initial payment of $50,000, knowing that the final claim will be “well over” that amount.

There was substantial damage to both the structure, a 75-year-old former schoolhouse, and the equipment and supplies that it housed.

The building on Sunset Avenue in Troutville served as the county’s primary training location and hosted a volunteer firefighter academy. The academy has relocated to the nearby Troutville Fire Station, and a backup 911 center has been moved to the Greenfield Administrative Center.

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