Fire destroyed a home in Concord early Monday morning.
The Arenzville Fire Department responded to a house fire at 102 Brockhouse Road at approximately 6:30AM Monday.
Arenzville Fire Chief Chris Privia says when initial crews arrived they verified that the home was unoccupied before they started an initial attack on the single-story home: “There was heavy fire. The garage was fully involved. The back side of the house was fully involved. There was fire coming out of every side of the house – all of the windows except for the south side of the house. Somebody before we got there thought they were helping and knocked all of the windows out of the house, which did not help us at all.”
Privia says with the high winds coupled with the sheet metal roof on the home, it caused the home to burn more quickly and completely torched the interior of the home. The Chapin and Meredosia Fire Departments provided mutual aid to the scene with water tinders and manpower. Privia says the home is a complete loss.
He says the fire’s origin does not appear to be suspicious in nature: “I talked to the homeowner. The fire appeared to have started in the attached breezeway between the house and the garage. The homeowner said that he left before 6AM, and prior to leaving he emptied ashtrays in the trashcan and left the trash bag in the breezeway. We’re assuming maybe one of those ashtrays was maybe hot enough to kindle the fire. It was either that or something electrical in the breezeway.”
Privia says he did not request the Office of the State Fire Marshal to investigate the fire.
Final units cleared the scene at approximately 10:30AM Monday.