The Winchester Fire Department received a call of a structure fire in a home at 84 North Commercial Street at approximately 6:15 Sunday night.
Winchester Fire Chief Freddie Andrews says the weather Sunday night didn’t help matters as portions of the home were already fully involved when his crews arrived.
“ The homeowner had been home and left for like twenty minutes or so, and came back and opened her door to find her kitchen fully involved. When my first office got on scene it had already gone through the roof and the wind was blowing twenty to twenty-two mile an hour with thirty mile an hour gusts, so once it got into the roof it took it and pretty well destroyed the house.”
Chief Andrews says the Winchester Fire Department was on scene for approximately five hours Sunday night. He says a delay in getting the power shut off by Ameren slowed their progress.
No one was injured in the blaze. Andrews says the owner of the home lost two kittens in the fire, however, one other cat was able to be saved.
Chief Andrews says they do not have an approximate cause of the fire at this time although it was evident it originated in the kitchen area. He says an estimate on the damages is not yet available but the house is a total loss.