What may have started as a porch fire early Monday morning at 4225 Gilhooly Road, and was dispatched as a porch fire, turned out to be a fully involved house fire, said Alexander Fire Chief Marshall Merle.
The house was a total loss.
All occupants, at least four and maybe five people, Merle said, were out of the house and safe by the time fire crews arrived on scene.
There was no mention of any pets in the residence, Merle said.
No firefighters were injured during the incident.
Merle said the fire started in the porch area. It's unclear if it started outside or inside the residence but investigators are leaning toward thinking it started inside, he said. The cause is currently undetermined.
The American Red Cross is assisting the family. The Salvation Army responded to provide refreshments to the firefighters. Bethany's auxiliary also responded.
The biggest challenge in fighting the fire was water supply. Merle requested several tankers to the scene. Once on scene, firefighters were able to locate a pond on the property, which the fire department did not previously know about, and two engines were employed to pump water for fire suppression.
Responding to the fire were Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Darien, East Pembroke, Stafford, and Pavilion. The City's Fast Team also responded. A crew from the Wyoming Correctional Facility assisted with scene cleanup.
Photos Courtesy Todd Rapp.
