A national law firm representing a microwave manufacturer is probing a house fire in Alterra that displaced a family last month, according to newly obtained city records.

Attorney Dean Grgas of Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker — a New York-based firm with Phoenix offices — requested all official documentation of the April 8 fire from the City of Maricopa. “Our law firm represents the manufacturer of a consumer product that is alleged to have been involved in causing the subject fire,” Grgas wrote. Reached by phone from White Plains, N.Y., he described the situation yesterday as an “insurance related matter” but declined further comment.

The fire, which broke out in a home on Carmen Avenue, is still under investigation. Reports released to InMaricopa via a Freedom of Information Act request indicate that the plastic casing of a microwave ignited after being left unattended. However, the official cause of ignition remains undetermined.

According to the fire reports, a 911 call came in at 4:43 p.m. after the microwave caught fire. The call was elevated to a house fire when the caller reported the home’s fire extinguisher wasn’t working and the flames had spread to nearby cabinets. Responding crews, delayed slightly due to simultaneous EMS calls, arrived to find heavy smoke and visible fire venting from the attic and seeping from the front door.

Firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze and search for occupants. No injuries were reported. A soot-covered cat was rescued and given oxygen outside the home, according to reporters at the scene. At the time, it was unknown if the cat and another pet had survived.

Maria Rosales, the homeowner, told InMaricopa in a brief interview yesterday that all residents made it out safely and the animals had survived. “The animals are OK, we are OK,” she said.

The fire was brought under control by 5:15 p.m., and the last fire unit cleared the scene around 7 p.m. Damage was estimated at $15,000.

More than a month later, the house remains cordoned off with red tape, appearing unchanged since the night of the fire.