Fire Damages Home on North Pembroke

Fire did damage to a home at 805 N. Pembroke Tuesday afternoon.

The house is owned by Travis Voelker, who is remodeling the home before a sale to the Russ Sehy family.

Effingham Fire Chief Joe Holomy said the fire started on the outside of the house by the garage on the back, or west side. There was straw up against the house and that appears to be where the fire began.

(RYAN SMITH)

A neighbor, eighth grader Ryan Smith, lives next door to the north. Ryan saw smoke at the house while shooting hoops in his driveway and went around to the back. He saw the fire in the straw bale and used a tennis racket to move the bale away from the house. He and his mom, Summer, used their garden hose to knock down the fire while phoning 911.

Holomy said there was a haze of smoke throughout the house and some fire damage to the area where the bales were stacked. Some soffit was taken down on the north end of the house. No fire got into the house, which is currently unoccupied.

Firefighters had cleared the scene by about 4pm.