An electrical problem appears to be the cause of a fire Wednesday afternoon that damaged three businesses in downtown Oelwein. Smoke was seen coming from a wall between the Bargain House furniture store and Consignments Plus clothing. Both businesses were evacuated as well as nearby apartments. A third business, a Goodwill Industries store, also sustained some damage. Firefighters had a hard time pinpointing the source of the fire as it was located between two firewalls. Fire crews also had to battle single-digit temperatures, though no one was reported hurt.