| Owen
County firefighters responded to three fires in three separate
parts of the county virtually back-to-back-to-back last Friday
night and early Saturday morning. It appears wood stoves or chimneys
caused all three blazes — on a night when temperatures plummeted
below the 30-degree mark just one day after topping out near 70,
making it one of the coldest nights of the early winter.
No injuries were reported in the fires, but two of the homes suffered
heavy damage.
A caller reported the first blaze at 11:36 p.m. Friday at a mobile
home located at 6465 Cull Road, near New Liberty.
Flames gutted the living room and kitchen before it was extinguished,
New Liberty Fire Chief Greg Davis said. The home was owned by
Doug Tuggle and occupied by a migrant worker who has since been
provided replacement housing.
Firefighters believe it started in a wood stove.
Davis called it a “very unusual night,” as firefighters
were called to action again about one hour later.
The second blaze, called in at 12:35 a.m. Saturday, wiped out
a house located at 530 Old Landing Road in Monterey.
“It was total destruction there,” said EMS director
Larry Karsner.
“Lost the house, lost everything,” said Monterey Fire
Chief Larry House, adding that emergency crews got thrown for
a loop when the caller initially reported the fire as being at
his old address, delaying the response time somewhat.
“By the time we got there it was about gone,” he said.
Red Cross provided housing assistance to the homeowner.
Firefighters again received a call at 6:02 a.m. Saturday reporting
a chimney fire at 195 Handy Lane.
Karsner said that fire was contained to one room.
Firefighters were called back to Monterey again just after 7 a.m.,
as the fire on Old Landing Road rekindled.
Wood-burning stoves apparently ignited all three fires.
Davis said it is important for homeowners to pay attention to
their chimneys, making sure they are clean and lined with flue
tile.
“An old chimney with mortar missing… you can’t
depend on that,” he said, adding that an unkempt chimney
can blow sparks into an attic, igniting ceiling beams or insulation.
The three fires made for a demanding night on Owen County’s
emergency workers.
Davis applauded their response and spoke highly of the new automatic
mutual aid system implemented six months ago, in which all four
of the county’s fire departments respond as soon as a call
comes out from the 911 center in Campbellsburg.
Under the system, which likely saw its biggest test thus far during
the three fires, each department has two-to-five tankers arrive
at the scene.
“Normally we have enough water to do our job” under
the mutual aid system, Davis said. “Hopefully the outcome’s
always good.”
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