Tucson Fire crews responded to an eastside house fire Monday morning.
Capt. Andrew Skaggs said the fire, near Speedway and Harrison, started in a pack rat nest in an air conditioning unit on the roof.
The owner of the home, Robert Swaim says he decided to turn the furnace on because temperatures dropped over the weekend.
"It was about 52 degrees and I have a house guests so I wanted to keep them warm," says Swaim.
Anthony Molina, Manager with Truly Nolen says pack rats set up shop where things are shiny and warm.
"They travel up walls and look for openings to get into the attic," says Molina. Adding, "They start chewing on wires as their teeth are growing and that's where fires start."
So what should you do? Molina suggests,
- Walk around home looking for openings
- Seal openings
- Look for a collection of mesquite bean pods in cacti
As for you cars, you can keep your hood open and place a light to keep pack rats out.
There are no reports of injuries.
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