Garage fire spreads to home east of Claypool

A Sidney firefighter douses water on the outbuilding. Photo by Gary Nieter, Times-Union
By David Slone
Times-Union

CLAYPOOL — A fire that started in a detached garage spread to the nearby home shortly after midnight Sunday at 7608 S. CR 400E, Claypool.

Everyone was able to get out of the home safely, according to Sidney Fire Department Assistant Chief Luke Rockwell.

The initial call to the Sidney Fire Department came in at about 12:05 a.m. Sunday.

Rockwell said someone was driving by the home and either stopped in or honked to alert the residents of the fire.County records indicate the property is owned by Mark A. and Pamela S. Fulk.

When the firefighters arrived to the scene, Rockwell said the garage was fully involved and had extended to the attic of the home. Not much was left of the garage after the fire, he said, but there had been two vehicles inside it. As for the home, Rockwell said the fire was contained to the north end and to the attic space.

“We had to pull the ceiling down in the home to access the fire in the house,” he said. The vaulted ceiling and metal roof made it difficult to access the fire in the attic.
Firefighters were on scene for about 4 to 4-1/2 hours. SFD returned to the fire station around 5 a.m., accounting for the time change.
Assisting Sidney were the Pierceton, Claypool, Silver Lake, Winona Lake and North Manchester fire departments.
“We weren’t sure what we had at first, but I’m thankful for the extra manpower,” Rockwell stated.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.