Fire Destroys Home In Tippecanoe

July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.

By Staff Report-

TIPPECANOE - Seven fire departments were called to the scene of a fire that destroyed a home in rural Tippecanoe Sunday morning.

The fire broke out just after 7 a.m. at the James Dawson home, located on the 1700 block of Birch Road.

Tippecanoe Fire Chief Lenny Berkey said Dawson left a cigarette burning in an ashtray by a chair when he took the family's dog out Sunday morning. He returned to bed but went back downstairs when the smoke alarm went off.

When Dawson got downstairs he found the chair on fire and he could not put it out. He went back upstairs for his wife and two children; the family escaped from a second-story window and jumped to the ground from an attached garage.

Dawson's wife, Debra, suffered a fractured leg and was treated and released at St. Joseph's Hospital of Marshall County, Plymouth. No one else was injured.

Firemen were at the scene about four hours. The Dawsons' home was destroyed by the blaze. [[In-content Ad]]

TIPPECANOE - Seven fire departments were called to the scene of a fire that destroyed a home in rural Tippecanoe Sunday morning.

The fire broke out just after 7 a.m. at the James Dawson home, located on the 1700 block of Birch Road.

Tippecanoe Fire Chief Lenny Berkey said Dawson left a cigarette burning in an ashtray by a chair when he took the family's dog out Sunday morning. He returned to bed but went back downstairs when the smoke alarm went off.

When Dawson got downstairs he found the chair on fire and he could not put it out. He went back upstairs for his wife and two children; the family escaped from a second-story window and jumped to the ground from an attached garage.

Dawson's wife, Debra, suffered a fractured leg and was treated and released at St. Joseph's Hospital of Marshall County, Plymouth. No one else was injured.

Firemen were at the scene about four hours. The Dawsons' home was destroyed by the blaze. [[In-content Ad]]

Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092

e-Edition


e-edition

Sign up


for our email newsletters

Weekly Top Stories

Sign up to get our top stories delivered to your inbox every Sunday

Daily Updates & Breaking News Alerts

Sign up to get our daily updates and breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox daily

Latest Stories


Atwood Otterbein Church To Celebrate 98th Anniversary
ATWOOD – The congregation at Atwood Otterbein Church will celebrate the 98th anniversary of the building of their church at 306 E. Main St., Atwood, on Sunday at their 9:30 a.m. service. The congregation celebrates its Heritage Day each May.

Marilyn E. Wagner
Marilyn E. Wagner, of Warsaw and formerly of North Webster, passed away on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at the age of 82.

Deloris J. Bradley
Deloris J. Bradley, 71, of Hamlet, entered the Heavenly gates on Monday, April 28, 2025, peacefully at her home, surrounded by the love of her family.

John Rinker
SYRACUSE – John Rinker, 93, a Korean War veteran from Syracuse, passed away at his home on April 28, 2025.

Dane Alden Rumfelt
Dane Alden Rumfelt, 79, Goshen, formerly of Milford, died at 2 a.m. Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at Esther’s House, Center for Hospice, Elkhart.