HOMER — An unoccupied house at 6626 Granville Road burned Tuesday night.
Homer Fire Chief Randy King said he believes the fire was started by a propane explosion and called in the Ohio State Fire Marshal today to investigate.
King said his department received the call about 7 p.m. and when firefighters arrived on the scene, the house was destroyed.
They called for mutual aid from Mount Vernon, Utica, Central Ohio Joint Fire District and Hartford. Newton Township also responded to the scene to fill firefighters’ air bottles.
About 33 firefighters worked on the fire, according to King. No firefighters were injured.
The American Red Cross of Knox County was on the scene to aid firefighters.
The home was deeded to Citicorp Trust Bank in December following a sheriff’s sale.
Realtor Dave Culbertson told the News he showed the house on Tuesday morning and did not notice any gas smells. In fact, he said the home was winterized and the furnace was shut off.
He said neighbors to the property told him they saw a fireball 150 feet wide and 200 feet tall. Windows from the home were blown 100 feet away.
A call to the Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office seeking information regarding the cause of the fire were unreturned.
