Early Morning Rekindle Of Truesdel Road Garage Fire Results In Total Loss Tuesday
A garage fire late Monday afternoon on rural Truesdel Road was extinguished by personnel from the Gosport, Owen Valley and Cloverdale volunteer fire departments, however, an early Tuesday morning rekindle would result in a total loss of the structure. Despite the loss, area firefighters were able to save the nearby modular home of Ron Belcher.
According to a press release from the Gosport VFD, the rekindle spread too quickly for firemen to save the structure, located at 3801 Truesdel Road.
Just before 5:30 p.m., neighbor Charlotte Burke called Owen County Security Center Dispatch to report the fire. Once on scene, Gosport VFD Chief Brian Leonard requested mutual aid from Cloverdale Township and Owen Valley fire personnel.
“As firefighters from Gosport, Cloverdale Township and Owen Valley attempted to locate the source of the fire, heavy black smoke from insulation that was burning made the effort very difficult,”
Gosport VFD Public Information Officer Kyle Hall said. “Ventilation fans were set up to try and blow the smoke out of the structure to allow some visibility inside, but due to windy conditions, this also made the attack difficult.”
After firemen were able to ventilate the roof, visibility improved and thermal imaging was utilized to locate hot spots. After removing insulation from the structure, the fire was extinguished.
When firemen left the scene at 7:40 p.m., Hall reported, the structure had heavy heat and smoke damage but was still standing.
Firemen believed the cause of the fire to be a wood burning stove.
In the early morning hours of Tuesday, approximately 3:23 a.m., Belcher called 911 to report the structure had rekindled. As firemen arrived on scene, the structure was fully engulfed in flames. As the fire raged on, firemen were able to prevent the fire from spreading to the family’s modular home, located just a few feet from the garage.
While the 1,600 square foot garage was a total loss from the second fire, firefighters prevented the spread and quite possibly saved the family’s home from being a loss as well.
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