DIXFIELD – Firefighters from Dixfield and Peru responded Monday night to a home on High Street with an overheated electrical outlet. There were no injuries.

Two adults and two children were allowed back inside the two-story home of Wanda Money at 120 High St. after it was deemed safe.

The arcing outlet was discovered by Money’s daughter about 8 p.m., Dixfield fire Chief Scott Dennett said. One wall sustained minor damage from firefighters trying to get through it to the overheating source, he said.

“We had to open up a wall because we were getting a reading on the thermal imaging camera,” Dennett said. “There was quite a bit of heat from the arcing going on, enough to register on the camera.”

Dennett said the daughter first noticed the smell of overheated wiring Sunday and looked throughout the house, but didn’t find anything. But when she smelled it again Monday night, she found the the arcing outlet.

The short-circuit which melted the outlet box was either caused by a loose wire or two wires touching each other, Dennett said. New copper wiring then transferred the heat into the wall.

“Once we were able to get into the wall and eliminate power to the source, that took care of it. Their timely calling and a quick response from firefighters helped prevent further damage. It might have turned into a fire,” Dennett said.

Dixfield and Peru have automatic mutual aid on structure fires, which is why Peru firefighters also responded, along with Med-Care Ambulance.

“It came in as a possible structure fire with fire in the walls. So that’s considered a structure fire,” Dennett added.