Fire Destroys Home Near North ManchesterNORTH MANCHESTER – Firefighters battled a blaze for several hours at 12446 S. CR 600E, North Manchester, Tuesday when a cat popped out, surprising everyone.
“We were able to save the cat,” Sidney Fire Department Chief Nathan Rhoades said this morning, describing it as a full-grown normal-size cat.
Firefighters also were able to breach a wall and save some of the occupants’ personal effects, including a wallet, guns and ammunition.
No injuries were reported, but the home is a total loss as the fire got up into the attic, Rhoades said. County records indicate the home is owned by Pamela E. Sherwood, and she did not have insurance, according to Rhoades.
Along with Sherwood, Rhoades said a friend and her father also may have lived in the home. The fire is still under investigation, but it is believed a wood stove pipe may have caused it.
Sidney Fire Department got the call for the fire at 10:38 a.m. Tuesday, and it rekindled around 5:20 p.m.
“It’s a very old home. It’s made of lumber and had lots of voids that made it difficult to get to the blaze safely,” he said.
About 30 to 40 firefighters were on scene. Along with Sidney, fire departments from Cleveland Township, Whitley County, assisted, as well as Chester and Pleasant townships from Wabash County. Silver Lake Fire Department provided tankers, North Manchester provided a ladder truck and Pierceton Fire Department was on standby.
