Electrical Problem Causes Laundromat Fire on Main Street

A fire at a laundromat on Main Street on Monday night is believed to have been caused by an electrical problem, according to Ramona Fire Department.

Gray smoke billowed out of Sit & Wash next to the Turkey Inn at about 6 p.m. and witnesses told firefighters that they'd heard voices of people still inside. So the incident was called in as a 2-alarm fire, Capt. Aaron Garcia told Patch at the scene.

"We went into rescue mode and we thought the fire had the potential to go up into the ceiling and into these other businesses next door," Garcia said.

However, firefighters found no one inside, and there were no reports of injuries after the blaze.

Garcia said he'd been told that one of the washers had been maintained a day ago but the fire started in the one next to it, so the cause is still under investigation.

At the Turkey Inn next door, Gerow Pitchford thought the ash tray outside was smoking, so he went outside to pour water on it and saw the smoke coming from the laundromat, then he saw flames inside, he told Patch.

The Highway Patrol closed off the block in front of the laundromat and water used to fight the fire poured down Main Street.

Then business went back to normal. People sat and chatted at the Turkey Inn and others went back into Sit & Wash to retrieve their clothes.