Two Garage Fires In The Same Newburgh Neighborhood
By: Casie Mason
Updated: March 1, 2013
In Newburgh, not one, but two fires happen just blocks away from each other. Responders fought a garage fire just off the ten thousand block of state road 662, then then short time later were called to another fire just a few blocks over off Tecumseh Drive. Extra reinforcements were called in and the cause of the fire is still being investigated.
"It was a huge, huge fire." Around eleven this morning, Emily Thompson, noticed something alarming near her home just off highway 662 in Newburgh. "I saw that the garage was totally on fire, huge fire, up into the trees. Then I saw there was smoldering on top of the house," says Thompson. Officials say the owners were not home this afternoon. "When I saw the fire, and how extensive it was, I knew it wasn't just a little backyard fire. So, I just called 911," says Thompson. Newburgh Assistant Fire Chief Chad Bennett says crews fought to put out flames in the home's attached garage, but even with the help of several other departments it was a challenging fight "We had a lot of problems battling this fire because it was different generations of construction that had been added on to the house. The fire was trapped in-between old and new construction," says Bennett. This fire wasn't the only thing that kept firefighters busy. "Shortly into this fire we also had a second working fire about a quarter mile from here." Home owners at the fire on Tecumseh did not want to talk on camera after the scare, but they tell us when they went to start this van, it abruptly caught fire under the hood. Neighbors say they could heard the loud noise and called 911 for help. It only took about twenty minutes to control the second fire. Both of today's incidents are under investigation, but either way some Newburgh residents might have learned it's good to know your neighbors. "It's the kind of thing we do here."
Officials say the the house fire received mainly smoke damage but is not a loss. Home owners at the second fire say the van had just been worked on, which may have been a factor in that fire. Neither home owners were injured today, but one firefighter received, what we are told, were minor injuries. He was taken to the hospital, but his name and condition has not been released.
"It was a huge, huge fire." Around eleven this morning, Emily Thompson, noticed something alarming near her home just off highway 662 in Newburgh. "I saw that the garage was totally on fire, huge fire, up into the trees. Then I saw there was smoldering on top of the house," says Thompson. Officials say the owners were not home this afternoon. "When I saw the fire, and how extensive it was, I knew it wasn't just a little backyard fire. So, I just called 911," says Thompson. Newburgh Assistant Fire Chief Chad Bennett says crews fought to put out flames in the home's attached garage, but even with the help of several other departments it was a challenging fight "We had a lot of problems battling this fire because it was different generations of construction that had been added on to the house. The fire was trapped in-between old and new construction," says Bennett. This fire wasn't the only thing that kept firefighters busy. "Shortly into this fire we also had a second working fire about a quarter mile from here." Home owners at the fire on Tecumseh did not want to talk on camera after the scare, but they tell us when they went to start this van, it abruptly caught fire under the hood. Neighbors say they could heard the loud noise and called 911 for help. It only took about twenty minutes to control the second fire. Both of today's incidents are under investigation, but either way some Newburgh residents might have learned it's good to know your neighbors. "It's the kind of thing we do here."
Officials say the the house fire received mainly smoke damage but is not a loss. Home owners at the second fire say the van had just been worked on, which may have been a factor in that fire. Neither home owners were injured today, but one firefighter received, what we are told, were minor injuries. He was taken to the hospital, but his name and condition has not been released.
