A blaze destroyed much of an unoccupied home Monday in a historic south Fort Wayne neighborhood.
The Fort Wayne Fire Department responded at about 4 p.m. to the 4800 block of Old Mill Road, where a 5,000-square-foot home was fully engulfed in flames. At least eight fire trucks were on the scene, and upward of two dozen firefighters battled the flames in shifts.
Lee Kelso, a public relations director with Asher Agency whose mother-in-law owns the house, said the homeowner had been away since 10 a.m. spending the day at a Fremont lake. Because of Friday's storm, the house also did not have power Monday, he said.
The house's owner was still gone while fire crews fought the blaze at about 4:30 p.m.
Because the home was unoccupied and without power when the fire started, at least two neighbors at the scene guessed that fireworks may have played a role in the fire. But that could not be confirmed by authorities.
Fire crews began leaving the scene at about 5 p.m. Kelso said no one was hurt in the blaze, but a large portion of the roof and a rear porch area were destroyed. Heavy smoke enveloped much of the block while crews worked at the scene.
Kelso said authorities believe the fire started near a screened-in porch area at the home's rear.
Old Mill Road, which borders the east side of Foster Park, is known for its large, historic homes. The home that burned Monday was built in the 1970s and had been owned by the same family for most of the time since then, Kelso said.
Two escape house fire on Maple Grove Avenue
A couple was able to evacuate their home Monday afternoon before a fire resulted in heavy damage before it was extinguished.
Firefighters were dispatched around 12:35 p.m. to 429 W. Maple Grove Ave., according to a news release from the Fort Wayne Fire Department.
They discovered that the rear of a home was fully engulfed in flames that extended to the siding of the houses on both sides of the burning residence. The fire was brought under control by 1:15 p.m., the release said, with multiple crews having to perform the overhaul of the residence due to oppressive heat.
The home sustained heavy smoke, fire and water damage, according to the release. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation, and no injuries were reported.
Morning blaze on Alliger Street results in heavy damage to home
A house fire took more than two hours to be deemed under control as firefighters had to contain a blaze that burned on both floors of a two-story structure.
Firefighters were dispatched at 5:03 a.m. to 1825 Alliger St., according to a news release from the Fort Wayne Fire Department. Upon arrival crews found heavy smoke and fire on first and second floor of a two-story home.
Firefighters were able to enter the structure but were then forced to evacuate due the amount of fire inside the structure, forcing crews to contain the fire to the address and prevent it from spreading to neighboring homes. The fire was brought under control by 7:25 a.m., the release said.
No one was home at the time of the fire, the release said, and the structure sustained heavy smoke, fire and water damage. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
