COLUMBUS, Ind. – A report of a residential fire on Saturday evening sent the Columbus Fire Department (CFD) to 731 Werner Ave., in Columbus. Firefighters arrived at around 6:30 p.m. to find a single-story home already heavily engulfed in flames and smoke.
Crews first went inside to attack the blaze which was quickly spreading. However, conditions indicated that the fire was too involved and free burning so the incident commander ordered all firefighters out of the building to continue to fight the blaze from an exterior position.
Working in below-freezing temperatures, CFD applied water from the ground as well as from an elevated position with an aerial ladder truck. The situation was marked under control within an hour.
The occupants escaped before firefighters arrived and no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The house was a total loss with officials estimating damages to be $100,000.
