LIMA — Smoke detectors in a Lima residence may have helped avoid a catastrophe early Wednesday morning as the young occupants of a North Main Street dwelling escaped unhurt when the structure caught on fire.
According to Capt. Kevin Clark, of the Lima Fire Department, firefighters were dispatched to 731 N. Main St. at approximately 3:40 a.m. in response to a house fire. Delayed briefly by a train, firemen upon their arrival found flames coming from a second-story bedroom window. Firefighters had the blaze under control within minutes, Clark said.
There were six children alone in the house at the time of the fire as their parents were out delivering newspapers, Clark said. The oldest of the six children called 911 and “did a good job of doing what they were supposed to do,” he said. There were no injuries suffered by the occupants.
Damage to the home, owned by Chad Vanvoorhis of Wapakoneta, was estimated at $24,000. Officials believe the fire was started when a mattress pushed against a baseboard heater ignited.
The Red Cross was called to provide housing assistance for the family, Clark said.
.neFileBlock {
margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
padding-bottom: 5px;
padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
font-size: 85%;
}
