Major Damage Done to House Near Lake Sara

Print

Published on March 14 2018 9:13 am
Last Updated on March 14 2018 9:13 am
Written by Greg Sapp

Major damage was done to a house near Lake Sara midday Tuesday.

Shumway Fire Protection District firefighters were called to the Miller residence at 14807 North Meadowbrook Court at 11:43am. 

Shumway Battalion Chief Justin Quandt said the fire began in the garage and spread to the rest of the home. There were two vehicles parked inside the garage. Another vehicle parked outside the garage also caught fire.

The Millers were at home at the time of the fire and escaped unharmed, but couldn't locate their cat. Eventually, though, a meow was heard from a back bedroom and a Watson firefighter assisting at the scene was able to enter the house through a window and retrieved the cat. Shumway Firefighters Lucas Ruholl and Jerrod Estes used the department's special oxygen mask for pets and the cat was taken to Walton and Haarmann Veterinary Clinic, where it is now in good health.

An Effingham County Sheriff's deputy was first on scene and assisted arriving firefighters with establishing a water source at a nearby hydrant, getting fire lines pulled from the engine, and ensuring the safety of those on scene.

Firefighters from the Watson, Altamont, Effingham, and Tri-County Fire Departments assisted along with Abbott EMS and Ameren, Norris Electric, and MABAS Chaplain Paul Bauer as well as American Red Cross to assist the homeowners. As the windy conditions fanned the fire, a box alarm was called, bringing firefighters from Teutopolis, St. Elmo, Neoga and Edgewood.

During the fire fight, the fire spread into the attic of the main body of the home and eventually broke through the roof, with the roof and attic area collapsing into the home.

There were also several explosions during the firefighting operation coming from the garage area, believed to have come from fuel containers and aerosol cans. One of the explosions caused a firefighter to lose his footing, resulting in him falling to the ground. The firefighter was quickly pulled away from the structure by the crew on his hose line and was found to be unharmed.

The fire was brought under control and the first crews began to clear the scene at 1:35pm. A State Fire Marshal's Office investigator is listing the cause of the fire as undetermined due to the amount of damage done. The final personnel cleared the scene at 4:04pm.