Fire Marshal: Electrical Malfunction Causes House Fire

A fire in the basement of a house on East Dune Lane in East Hampton Village on Monday night started with in a light fixture, investigators said on Tuesday.

"The fire appears to be caused by an overheated ballast in a fluorescent light inside a basement food pantry," Town Fire Marshal Chief David (Buzzy) Browne said.

The East Hampton Fire Department put out the fire within 15 minutes of arriving at the house at 43 East Dune Lane, near the Maidstone Golf Club. They were called, by the homeowners, just before 11 p.m.

Chief Tom Bono said the fire was contained to the pantry in the basement.

Browne said the pantry was destroyed and there was a lot of damage to the hallway outside of it. "Of course, it did extensive smoke and soot damage throughout the rest of the house," Browne said.