The Pacer

Issue date: 2/27/07 Section: Campus News

A Valentine's Day afternoon fire at a local bar and eatery was ruled an electric short, not a fire, leaving Cadillac's closed for a week, said owner Rick Wilson.
"An overloaded socket created heat and friction," said Battalion Chief Bob Dudley of Martin Fire Department's Company C. "When it does that it creates a charge or spark."

This heated the surrounding insulation in the attic of the bar, and smoking was exhausted by Cadillac's patrons, John Brown and UTM alumnus Eric Taylor with the aid of a fire extinguisher.

The building was then evacuated and a call was placed to MFD. The smoldering had ceased and the MFD assessed damages of $500, according to the Martin Fire Department report. But Wilson says he has not yet estimated the damage.

Similarly, while the MFD report lists the Feb. 14 incident as a "structure fire," Wilson said no fire took place, calling the incident an "electrical short."

MFD investigators used camera footage to check for hot spots, but found none.
Additionally, as a result of the damage, the Weakley County Municipal Electric System was forced to replace the electrical meter at the bar.

It took a week to re-wire the building, and while the repairs were in progress, the bar, located at 103 Church St. During those repairs, some employees were not able to work because of the rewiring.
While the electrical short caused visible damage in the bar's attic, there is no visible damage on Cadillac's main floor, where most commercial activities take place.

The last fire inspection was conducted within the past year, Dudley said.
Cadillac's was not issued a citation for faulty wiring in relation to the incident.
When asked if concerned about loosing patrons to other local bars and hang-outs, Wilson said he was not concerned about losing business to other nearby establishments.

Insurance was listed with Union City Insurance, but it is not known if all damages are covered.

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