Vacant Home Destroyed By Fire Saturday Night

A vacant home at 845 North Service Rd. East, Village of Oak Grove, was destroyed by fire Saturday night, May 9, after fire quickly spread through the structure prior to Sullivan Fire District being notified.

The homeowner was identified as Glen Meier.

Firefighters received the alarm at 9:12 p.m. and responded at 9:14 p.m. from Station 5, Highway AF, and arrived on the scene at 9:23 p.m. to find the home fully involved in fire.

Sullivan Fire Captain Damon Sumpter arrived on the scene and immediately requested a second alarm be activated and Crawford Electric be notified due to live power lines being on the ground at the structure.

Sumpter reported, “We arrived to find the structure fully involved in fire with the roof burned through, floors beginning to collapse and electric lines on the ground on the corners of the home.“

Fire districts from St. Clair, Bourbon and Beaufort-Leslie were called in to assist and a tanker shuttle was established to help provide water to extinguish the blaze.

“We really had no chance to save anything with this structure fire with the roof collapsing into the basement along with the first floor and we could do was contain the fire to the structure,” said Sullivan Fire Chief Eric Lewis. 

Incoming units from outside districts helped Sullivan firefighters with water supply but also with removing hazards such as unstable walls, chimneys and overall extinguishing the fire.

Firefighters used foam to help bring the blaze under control at cleared the scene at 12L20 a.m. Sunday morning.

“No cause of the fire was determined at this time, there was electric to the structure, but due to the extent of damage a true cause was could not be determined but we can’t rule out an electrical issue at the home,” said Lewis.

Firefighters estimated that 12,000 gallons of water was used to bring the fire under control eleven fire apparatus on the scene.

For video coverage of the fire see the Sullivan Independent News on Facebook.