HOWARD — An unoccupied home at 24267 Blanchard Road, near the Kokosing Gap Trail, northeast of Howard, was destroyed by a fire early Sunday morning.
The Doug Neely family which owns the house and lives nearby, saw the fire when they were up stoking a wood burner.
The Eastern Knox County Joint Fire District was called at 2:41 a.m. and when they arrived the house was fully involved. Firefighters fought the fire in 17 degree cold with a windchill of 3 degrees. The department said the house was built like a barn with 10-by-10-inch timbers.
Fire in the basement spread quickly up the walls where there was nothing to stop it. A rear kitchen laundry area was completely burned but some of the walls of the main house are still standing.
The department suspect the fire was caused by a kerosene heater. The department had two engines and a water tank truck. The College Township Fire Department provided mutual aid with an engine and tank truck. Altogether, 16 firefighters fought the blaze. The departments secured from the fire at 6:02 a.m.
