Staff writer
Lincolnville fire department responded to a house fire at 309 Kansas St. shortly before noon Monday. Marion, Lost Springs, and Tampa firefighters, as well as a tanker truck from Durham were called for assistance.
Black smoke was billowing out of the roof when they arrived, which fire chief Lester Kaiser said indicated a slow-burning, deep-seated fire.
“We fought it as a defensive fire because it was so hard to get to and was putting out heavy smoke,” he said.
Firefighters got up on a porch roof and used a chain saw to get access to the attic and storage area.
By the time back-up crews arrived, they couldn’t go in.
A tanker shuttle brought water from the underground storage facility at Centre High School.
Kaiser said it took about four hours to put the fire out. He said firefighters were notified of two dogs inside but were not able to save them. Another dog escaped from the yard, and one received burns and was taken to a veterinarian for treatment and released.
The house was a complete loss. The state fire marshal has not determined the cause of the fire.
The house was owned by Fred Hayes of Lincolnville and was rented by his stepson, Brody Jackson, and an unidentified roommate.
Hayes’s sister, Sherri Pankratz, said Jackson lost many electronic items in the fire but was glad that some of his dogs were saved.
“He was very concerned about his dogs,” she said. “One was a puppy he had just gotten. But he’s got a good job and has a good family and still has some dogs, so he’ll be all right.”
The Red Cross responded to help Jackson and his roommate, who were taken in by relatives.
Kaiser was thankful that no one was hurt fighting the fire.
“That’s the most important thing,” he said.