Fire ants result in fire call in Cleveland

CLEVELAND - Cleveland and White County firefighters were called to a possible house fire on Oakwood Court in the city around midnight Saturday, but what was discovered wasn't a fire.<br /> <br /> "Upon arrival of Cleveland Fire, there was a strong odor of what appeared to be electrical smell," said Cleveland Fire Chief Ricky Pruitt. "Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the incoming power was at an extremely high voltage."<br /> <br /> Georgia Power Co. was called and checked out the underground transformer.<br /> <br /> "Fire ants had built a nest inside it and this had shorted out the wiring, causing an extreme amount of high voltage to enter the home," Pruitt said. <br /> <br /> Georgia Power Co. personnel repaired the voltage problem, but Pruitt said several items inside the home were damaged as a result of the high voltage.

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