Old wiring causes Cape house fire

A small attic fire caused minor damage Saturday evening to a Cape Girardeau home, but no one was injured.

Firefighters responded to the blaze in the 1200 block of South Ellis Street around 6 p.m., according to battalion chief Mike Ramsey. The home's occupant was alerted by neighbors and escaped the home uninjured. Old wiring in the one-story home's attic caused insulation and wood framing to catch fire, he said. The fire did not spread from the attic, but the home was not habitable because electricity to the house was cut off as a precaution following the fire. Ramsey estimated the damage at about $5,000.