COLUMBUS, Ind. — Columbus Fire Department (CFD) Fire Investigators are working to identify the cause of a Friday afternoon fire that damaged two homes.
A passerby saw flames coming from a carport and alerted the homeowner, who initially tried to fight the blaze with a garden hose. At around 5:50 p.m., CFD was dispatched to 921 Chestnut St.
As firefighters responded, they received a report that the attached carport was fully involved. Upon arrival, crews found heavy fire at the residence, and, due to radiant heat, witnessed vinyl siding melting to an adjacent house at 911 Chestnut St.
CFD applied water and made progress in knocking down the exterior flames, but then saw that the blaze had entered the interior living space and attic. Moving into the home, firefighters encountered low visibility and high heat as they maneuvered through the interior.
Crews reached a back bedroom where the exterior flames were most concentrated. They determined that the active fire was hidden above an additional roof structure that had been constructed. Once the hidden fire was located, firefighters quickly knocked down the flames.
The owner told CFD that he was sitting on his front porch when someone walking past his home yelled that his house was on fire. He then saw the flames in the carport, called 9-1-1, grabbed a hose to try to extinguish the blaze, but the heat was too intense. The homeowner said that the carport did not contain electricity and was primarily used as a storage space for materials while a remodel of the home is underway.
The damage at 921 Chestnut St. was significant, and as a result, the home is untenable. An apartment at 911 Chestnut St. sustained electrical damage. Three tenants of 911 Chestnut St. and five residents of 921 Chestnut St. are receiving shelter assistance from the American Red Cross.
No Injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
