The Kewanee Fire Department was dispatched to Royal Oaks Nursing Home in Kewanee on Tuesday for an electrical burning smell. The Kewanee Fire Department was able to locate the cause of the electrical burning smell in an unoccupied room. The burning smell was caused when the cap fell off the wire harness that was connected to a baseboard heater. According to Deputy Chief Steven Kijanowski, Captain Jeremy Stout, from the Kewanee Fire Department, said they turned the power back on to the heater with the problem wire and tested the temp of the wire to ensure this was the cause of the burning smell. The temperature reading for the problem wire rose to 260 degrees within seconds. Fire Chief Stephen Welgat said the baseboard heater was disconnected and no fire started from the arching wire. We have reached out to Peterson Healthcare regarding their fire protocol and evacuation of residents and employees.
