No one was injured when a wood pellet stove caught a house on fire Sunday afternoon.
Burket Fire Department responded to 8324 S. CR 700W, Claypool, at 2:38 p.m. Sunday to a house fire that gutted the home, Burket Fire Chief Kevin McSherry said.
The chimney flue for the wood pellet stove that goes through the north wall of the house caught that wall on fire, then the fire went up the walls and into the roof area, he said. The occupant of the home was sleeping at the time and woke up to the fire.
Estimated damage is from $120,000 to $150,000.
Temperatures in the single digits caused the county highway department to come out twice and sand the roads because “every little bit of water we spilled turned to ice,” McSherry said. “We really appreciated that. It really helped the safety because we had a lot of tankers going in and out.”
McSherry also said Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory came out with their rehab trailer that contains two heaters for the firefighters to warm up.
Mentone, Henry Township and Claypool fire departments assisted at the scene.
McSherry reminds residents to be very conscious of the condition of heating appliances in homes.
