Fire Crews Spend More Than 13 Hours On Leesburg Fire
Posted
Daniel Riordan-driordan@timesuniononline.com
LEESBURG – Weary and beyond the point of exhaustion, crews from area fire departments began filing out in a slow procession from Jerry Ferguson’s home Friday afternoon. Others stayed behind, working on hotspots that were still in the 11,000-square-foot home on Tippecanoe Lake. Around 4 p.m. Friday, crews were called back out to the home for reports of a rekindling at the home. Crews from Plain Township in Leesburg, Warsaw, Winona Lake, Milford, Syracuse, North Webster and Syracuse eschewed sleep and safety spending more than 13 hours working on the home at 5 EMS T35 A Lane, Leesburg, Trucks and tankers lined the one-lane road that leads to Ferguson’s home. Others dotted neighbors’ driveways. “This is the longest I’ve ever been at a fire,” said one Plain Township fireman. Local American Red Cross Volunteer Disaster teams were on the scene providing canteen services to firefighters Many who serve as volunteer firemen had to take Friday off work. “I know at least four guys from my department who had to call in today,” said another fireman. One fireman, Derek Tenney, suffered some facial burns about two hours into the fire and was transported to the burn unit at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Fort Wayne. According to a representative from the hospital, Tenney was doing well and was released Friday. Eric Sechrist, of Certified Reconstruction Services, was waiting with a crew to board up the home. He said it was going to take 25 sheets of plywood to cover the lower portion of the residence. Sechrist said the roof couldn’t be covered. The home and the property at Ferguson’s residence was assessed in 2011 at more than $5.2 million. First responders were able to get two cars out of the residence’s garage without either sustaining damage. The fire is believed to have originated in the attic of the home. The fire is still under investigation. Ferguson was expected back from Florida where he had been staying Friday afternoon.
