Last updated: Wed. Aug. 24, 2011 - 02:44 pm EDT
Lightning suspected in fire
By Christian Sheckler
of The News-Sentinel
A lightning strike is believed to have caused a fire that destroyed an eastern Allen County home and killed four household pets early this morning.
Firefighters arrived at 12830 Stellhorn Road, east of Interstate 469, at about 2:30 a.m. today and found the house engulfed in flames, said Tom Vachon, assistant fire chief with the New Haven-Adams Township Fire Department.
Lightning likely sparked the blaze during thunderstorms early this morning, but authorities are still investigating the cause, Vachon said. By the time fire crews arrived this morning, the home couldn't be saved, he said.
"We were fighting a defensive battle from the get-go," Vachon said. A fire crew this morning was waiting for insurance agents to arrive before gutting the house to prevent flare-ups, he said.
No people were injured in the fire, but a family who had been renting the home was forced to leave.
Witnesses said the family attends Christ Lutheran Church in Woodburn and are staying with relatives in the area. The Red Cross and the church are assisting the family, witnesses said.
Last updated: August 25, 2011 8:28 a.m.
Lightning sparks overnight fires at 2 houses, garage
Archie Ingersoll | The Journal Gazette
Lightning from a storm that moved through the Fort Wayne area early Wednesday was responsible for starting two house fires and a garage fire, fire officials said.
The most destructive blaze occurred at 12830 Stellhorn Road, an old brick farmhouse near Bruick Road. The home was a total loss, and four dogs – a poodle and three Labrador retrievers – perished, said Chuck Lehman, spokesman and chief investigator for the New Haven Adams Township Fire Department.
Lehman said a teenage boy, who had climbed onto the roof of the front porch of the burning house, injured his hand when he broke a window trying to rescue the dogs inside. No other injuries related to Wednesday's three fires were reported.
Mark Wentz, a Fort Wayne police officer, and his family lived in the Stellhorn Road home.
"Thanks to smoke detectors that were working properly, they all escaped without any harm," Lehman said.
The officer was on duty when the fire started, but those inside the house told authorities they heard a loud boom and shortly afterward smoke detectors went off, Lehman said.
He said the lightning struck the top of the house on the southeast corner, igniting a fire that spread quickly. When firefighters arrived about 2:30 a.m., flames had engulfed the house.
As firefighters worked to extinguish the fire from outside the home, the roof caved in. It took a little more than an hour to bring the fire under control.
The Fort Wayne Patrolmen's Benevolent Association has taken up a collection for the officer's family, which was renting the house and did not have insurance, Lehman said.
About 1:45 a.m., the Fort Wayne Fire Department was called to a house fire at 2602 Ethel Ave., near Goshen Avenue on the city's north side.
Deputy Chief Eric Lahey said lightning is believed to have started an electrical fire in a family room in the front of the one-story house. No one was home when the fire started.
Firefighters forced open a door to the house in order to put out the flames in the family room. The blaze, which caused moderate fire and smoke damage, was under control in 12 minutes.
About 4 a.m., the Huntertown Perry Township Fire Department extinguished a fire that destroyed a detached garage on Tonkel Road, near Union Chapel Road.
Capt. Jason Mueller said flames were coming through the roof by the time fire crews arrived. The fire is under investigation, but lightning is suspected, Mueller said.
Lightning suspected in fire
By Christian Sheckler
of The News-Sentinel
A lightning strike is believed to have caused a fire that destroyed an eastern Allen County home and killed four household pets early this morning.
Firefighters arrived at 12830 Stellhorn Road, east of Interstate 469, at about 2:30 a.m. today and found the house engulfed in flames, said Tom Vachon, assistant fire chief with the New Haven-Adams Township Fire Department.
Lightning likely sparked the blaze during thunderstorms early this morning, but authorities are still investigating the cause, Vachon said. By the time fire crews arrived this morning, the home couldn't be saved, he said.
"We were fighting a defensive battle from the get-go," Vachon said. A fire crew this morning was waiting for insurance agents to arrive before gutting the house to prevent flare-ups, he said.
No people were injured in the fire, but a family who had been renting the home was forced to leave.
Witnesses said the family attends Christ Lutheran Church in Woodburn and are staying with relatives in the area. The Red Cross and the church are assisting the family, witnesses said.
Last updated: August 25, 2011 8:28 a.m.
Lightning sparks overnight fires at 2 houses, garage
Archie Ingersoll | The Journal Gazette
Lightning from a storm that moved through the Fort Wayne area early Wednesday was responsible for starting two house fires and a garage fire, fire officials said.
The most destructive blaze occurred at 12830 Stellhorn Road, an old brick farmhouse near Bruick Road. The home was a total loss, and four dogs – a poodle and three Labrador retrievers – perished, said Chuck Lehman, spokesman and chief investigator for the New Haven Adams Township Fire Department.
Lehman said a teenage boy, who had climbed onto the roof of the front porch of the burning house, injured his hand when he broke a window trying to rescue the dogs inside. No other injuries related to Wednesday's three fires were reported.
Mark Wentz, a Fort Wayne police officer, and his family lived in the Stellhorn Road home.
"Thanks to smoke detectors that were working properly, they all escaped without any harm," Lehman said.
The officer was on duty when the fire started, but those inside the house told authorities they heard a loud boom and shortly afterward smoke detectors went off, Lehman said.
He said the lightning struck the top of the house on the southeast corner, igniting a fire that spread quickly. When firefighters arrived about 2:30 a.m., flames had engulfed the house.
As firefighters worked to extinguish the fire from outside the home, the roof caved in. It took a little more than an hour to bring the fire under control.
The Fort Wayne Patrolmen's Benevolent Association has taken up a collection for the officer's family, which was renting the house and did not have insurance, Lehman said.
About 1:45 a.m., the Fort Wayne Fire Department was called to a house fire at 2602 Ethel Ave., near Goshen Avenue on the city's north side.
Deputy Chief Eric Lahey said lightning is believed to have started an electrical fire in a family room in the front of the one-story house. No one was home when the fire started.
Firefighters forced open a door to the house in order to put out the flames in the family room. The blaze, which caused moderate fire and smoke damage, was under control in 12 minutes.
About 4 a.m., the Huntertown Perry Township Fire Department extinguished a fire that destroyed a detached garage on Tonkel Road, near Union Chapel Road.
Capt. Jason Mueller said flames were coming through the roof by the time fire crews arrived. The fire is under investigation, but lightning is suspected, Mueller said.
Last updated: Wed. Aug. 24, 2011 - 02:44 pm EDT
Lightning suspected in fire
By Christian Sheckler
of The News-Sentinel
A lightning strike is believed to have caused a fire that destroyed an eastern Allen County home and killed four household pets early this morning.
Firefighters arrived at 12830 Stellhorn Road, east of Interstate 469, at about 2:30 a.m. today and found the house engulfed in flames, said Tom Vachon, assistant fire chief with the New Haven-Adams Township Fire Department.
Lightning likely sparked the blaze during thunderstorms early this morning, but authorities are still investigating the cause, Vachon said. By the time fire crews arrived this morning, the home couldn't be saved, he said.
"We were fighting a defensive battle from the get-go," Vachon said. A fire crew this morning was waiting for insurance agents to arrive before gutting the house to prevent flare-ups, he said.
No people were injured in the fire, but a family who had been renting the home was forced to leave.
Witnesses said the family attends Christ Lutheran Church in Woodburn and are staying with relatives in the area. The Red Cross and the church are assisting the family, witnesses said.
Last updated: August 25, 2011 8:28 a.m.
Lightning sparks overnight fires at 2 houses, garage
Archie Ingersoll | The Journal Gazette
Lightning from a storm that moved through the Fort Wayne area early Wednesday was responsible for starting two house fires and a garage fire, fire officials said.
The most destructive blaze occurred at 12830 Stellhorn Road, an old brick farmhouse near Bruick Road. The home was a total loss, and four dogs – a poodle and three Labrador retrievers – perished, said Chuck Lehman, spokesman and chief investigator for the New Haven Adams Township Fire Department.
Lehman said a teenage boy, who had climbed onto the roof of the front porch of the burning house, injured his hand when he broke a window trying to rescue the dogs inside. No other injuries related to Wednesday's three fires were reported.
Mark Wentz, a Fort Wayne police officer, and his family lived in the Stellhorn Road home.
"Thanks to smoke detectors that were working properly, they all escaped without any harm," Lehman said.
The officer was on duty when the fire started, but those inside the house told authorities they heard a loud boom and shortly afterward smoke detectors went off, Lehman said.
He said the lightning struck the top of the house on the southeast corner, igniting a fire that spread quickly. When firefighters arrived about 2:30 a.m., flames had engulfed the house.
As firefighters worked to extinguish the fire from outside the home, the roof caved in. It took a little more than an hour to bring the fire under control.
The Fort Wayne Patrolmen's Benevolent Association has taken up a collection for the officer's family, which was renting the house and did not have insurance, Lehman said.
About 1:45 a.m., the Fort Wayne Fire Department was called to a house fire at 2602 Ethel Ave., near Goshen Avenue on the city's north side.
Deputy Chief Eric Lahey said lightning is believed to have started an electrical fire in a family room in the front of the one-story house. No one was home when the fire started.
Firefighters forced open a door to the house in order to put out the flames in the family room. The blaze, which caused moderate fire and smoke damage, was under control in 12 minutes.
About 4 a.m., the Huntertown Perry Township Fire Department extinguished a fire that destroyed a detached garage on Tonkel Road, near Union Chapel Road.
Capt. Jason Mueller said flames were coming through the roof by the time fire crews arrived. The fire is under investigation, but lightning is suspected, Mueller said.
Lightning suspected in fire
By Christian Sheckler
of The News-Sentinel
A lightning strike is believed to have caused a fire that destroyed an eastern Allen County home and killed four household pets early this morning.
Firefighters arrived at 12830 Stellhorn Road, east of Interstate 469, at about 2:30 a.m. today and found the house engulfed in flames, said Tom Vachon, assistant fire chief with the New Haven-Adams Township Fire Department.
Lightning likely sparked the blaze during thunderstorms early this morning, but authorities are still investigating the cause, Vachon said. By the time fire crews arrived this morning, the home couldn't be saved, he said.
"We were fighting a defensive battle from the get-go," Vachon said. A fire crew this morning was waiting for insurance agents to arrive before gutting the house to prevent flare-ups, he said.
No people were injured in the fire, but a family who had been renting the home was forced to leave.
Witnesses said the family attends Christ Lutheran Church in Woodburn and are staying with relatives in the area. The Red Cross and the church are assisting the family, witnesses said.
Last updated: August 25, 2011 8:28 a.m.
Lightning sparks overnight fires at 2 houses, garage
Archie Ingersoll | The Journal Gazette
Lightning from a storm that moved through the Fort Wayne area early Wednesday was responsible for starting two house fires and a garage fire, fire officials said.
The most destructive blaze occurred at 12830 Stellhorn Road, an old brick farmhouse near Bruick Road. The home was a total loss, and four dogs – a poodle and three Labrador retrievers – perished, said Chuck Lehman, spokesman and chief investigator for the New Haven Adams Township Fire Department.
Lehman said a teenage boy, who had climbed onto the roof of the front porch of the burning house, injured his hand when he broke a window trying to rescue the dogs inside. No other injuries related to Wednesday's three fires were reported.
Mark Wentz, a Fort Wayne police officer, and his family lived in the Stellhorn Road home.
"Thanks to smoke detectors that were working properly, they all escaped without any harm," Lehman said.
The officer was on duty when the fire started, but those inside the house told authorities they heard a loud boom and shortly afterward smoke detectors went off, Lehman said.
He said the lightning struck the top of the house on the southeast corner, igniting a fire that spread quickly. When firefighters arrived about 2:30 a.m., flames had engulfed the house.
As firefighters worked to extinguish the fire from outside the home, the roof caved in. It took a little more than an hour to bring the fire under control.
The Fort Wayne Patrolmen's Benevolent Association has taken up a collection for the officer's family, which was renting the house and did not have insurance, Lehman said.
About 1:45 a.m., the Fort Wayne Fire Department was called to a house fire at 2602 Ethel Ave., near Goshen Avenue on the city's north side.
Deputy Chief Eric Lahey said lightning is believed to have started an electrical fire in a family room in the front of the one-story house. No one was home when the fire started.
Firefighters forced open a door to the house in order to put out the flames in the family room. The blaze, which caused moderate fire and smoke damage, was under control in 12 minutes.
About 4 a.m., the Huntertown Perry Township Fire Department extinguished a fire that destroyed a detached garage on Tonkel Road, near Union Chapel Road.
Capt. Jason Mueller said flames were coming through the roof by the time fire crews arrived. The fire is under investigation, but lightning is suspected, Mueller said.
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