An electrical problem in an open-office area is blamed for a fire that caused extensive damage to a commercial building in downtown Chadron Sunday night.
The Chadron Volunteer Fire Department spent more than 7 hours last night battling the fire in the 300 block of Main Street, successfully limiting it to the old Keith Spencer CPA office and keeping it from spreading to adjacent buildings.
Fire Chief Branden Martens said at the scene that the fire was called in about 7:00 PM and produced a lot of smoke, but not much flame as it smoldered in decades of paper files from the CPA office, which has been closed for several years.
Chief Martens says he doesn’t remember Chadron firefighters ever using as much oxygen on a call, with some individuals going through 6 or 7 bottles for their air packs.