Fire Totals House West of Beecher City

Members of nine area fire companies helped battle a blaze that totaled a house west of Beecher City Wednesday afternoon.

Tri-County Fire Protection District Chief Doug Ray said a passerby spotted the fire close to coming through the roof of the house about 2:30pm.  The house, owned by Virgil Buzzard, is located in a rural part of Fayette County.  Ray said the Buzzard family used the house as an occasional gathering place.

The cause of the fire has not been determined, but Ray said it began in the central part of the house and then went straight through the roof.

Tri-County was assisted at the scene by fire companies from Cowden, Shumway, Altamont and St. Elmo and Wade Fire Protection District brought the MABAS 54 vehicle that refills air bottles. Effingham and Watson firefighters staffed the Tri-County station in case of another fire.

Ray said they had the fire under control within an hour and 20 minutes of its discovery.  Firefighters cleared the scene about 5:15pm.

No one was at home at the time of the fire; no firefighters were injured fighting the blaze.