Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SYRACUSE - An Enchanted Hills Mobile Home Park family got another scare early Monday morning when flames were seen shooting from the roof of their home.
Nick and Rhonda Baldwin of 9893 E. King Arthur Trail, Cromwell, lost their home to fire in February and recently had their new residence placed at the same location.
Two teen-agers in the home were watching television about 1 a.m. Monday when they heard "thumps" on the roof, then saw flames through a skylight in the home. The boys awakened other family members and all escaped without injury.
The fire was limited to the roof, where investigators found two containers with rags hanging out of them. The fire was extinguished by 17-year-old Scott Baldwin before Syracuse firefighters arrived at the scene. The younger Baldwin used a neighbor's garden hose and stood on his mother's van parked in the driveway to douse the burning containers.
Syracuse Fire Department Chief Larry Hunter said that damage to the home was minimal and will likely require only replacement of a few shingles.
The cause of the fire is being ruled suspicious and a Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department report about the incident was labeled as an attempted arson. The matter remains under investigation.
The February fire that destroyed the previous Baldwin residence was ruled accidental due to an electrical problem in an addition to the single-wide mobile home.
Syracuse firefighters also were called to a garage fire at 4:36 p.m. Sunday at the Bob and Lynn Grotz residence at 12489 N. Elnora Drive.
Firefighters were on the scene of that fire for nearly two hours. Hunter said the garage, including a car and many tools, was destroyed. One of three dogs in a kennel attached to one side of the garage died in the fire.
The Grotz family was not at home when the fire began. No injuries were reported.
