WINONA LAKE – Firefighters were on the scene of a Winona Lake blaze this morning for about five hours.
Winona Lake Fire Department got the call of a residential fire at 801 Robson Road, Winona Lake, at 3:57 a.m. today, according to Fire Chief Mitch Titus. He estimated the fire was put out around 9 a.m., though Titus was still on scene at 10 a.m.
“There were lots of voids and nooks and crannies” that were problematic, he said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
“We assume it started in the garage, but it’s still under investigation,” Titus said.
Smoke detectors were going off when the fire department arrived. There were three people living in the home – a husband, wife and child – but Titus did not know their names. He said one of the residents might have been awake early this morning and noticed the fire.
Kosciusko County records indicate the home is owned by Nathan J. Patterson.
Not only did the fire destroy the home, but it also spread to three nearby vehicles. Titus said two were destroyed, but the third vehicle may be fixable. To rebuild the home, he estimated it would cost at least $150,000. County records indicate the property was purchased in October for $120,000.
No injuries were reported by the residents or firefighters.
“They got out and we didn’t have anyone get hurt, thank goodness,” Titus said. “They moved in in October. They were still cleaning out stuff from the old residents.”
The family owned two indoor and two outdoor cats, but their whereabouts were unknown this morning.
Assisting at the scene were the Pierceton, North Webster, Claypool and Warsaw fire departments. Titus estimated there were close to 45 personnel on scene. Leesburg and Pierceton fire departments covered for Warsaw while it helped battle Winona’s blaze.
