Dog dies in Sunday Ligonier house fire
Mar. 19—LIGONIER — A dog died and a firefighter was injured during an overnight house fire in Ligonier Sunday.
The fire took place at 410 W. Second St., according to Ligonier Fire Chief Jeremy Weaver.
"Dispatch got the call at 2:38 a.m.," Weaver said Sunday, adding that Ligonier Police officers arrived on the scene at 2:40 p.m. Both occupants of the house, two men, got out, but a dog that was inside was not able to and did not survive.
Officers reported heavy smoke and fire when they arrived, and the house, a two-story wood frame, was fully engulfed by the time the first fire crews arrived.
"They got the main part of the fire knocked down within half an hour, but fire crews struggled in getting it totally extinguished because it got into the attic space," Weaver said. "The house had been renovated. We ended up having to go in and find the fire extension."
Due to slippery conditions at the scene, a firefighter slipped and fell, injuring his arm.
Weaver added that there were no smoke alarms in the house.
"They just happened to wake up to the crackling sound of the fire," Weaver said. "They were very lucky."
The Topeka Fire Department also responded the scene, as part of a mutual aid request, and Parkview/Noble County EMS also assisted. As of Sunday Weaver said that the fire remains under investigation.
A Go Fund Me account has been set up for the residents of the house. To learn more, go to https://gofund.me/fceb8e25.
Steve Wilson is news editor for The Goshen News. You can reach him at steve.wilson@goshennews.com.
