A LAPTOP being charged with a curled cord was determined as the cause.

Stawell, Halls Gap and Great Western fire fighters rushed to the Alfred Street property about 1am after initial reports said the fire had “fully engulfed” the house. 

A Ballarat protective equipment van also attended the scene to refill breathing apparatus cylinders for fire fighters.  

Ararat CFA District 16 operations manager Neville Collins said a laptop was charging on a power board, alongside one other item, when the blaze ignited. 

“The power board was not overloaded,” he said.

“The laptop cord was curled up while plugged into the device and this has caused an electrical fault.

“Electronic devices should not be charged overnight or while you are sleeping. They can overheat and can result in unfortunate incidents such as what has happened here.”

The incident caused damage worth $135,000 to the house. 

Fire fighers initially said about 50 per cent of the property was beyond repair, but the whole house has since been knocked down.

Three hours later district fire fighters were called out again to another house fire on Tuson Street in Ararat. 

A blaze in the property’s shed was extinguished at 4.53am- the house escaped serious damage.