Massive fire destroys Needham home

A fire destroyed a rural home late Tuesday night.

The Needham Community Volunteer Fire Department responded to the fire at 10:16 p.m. in the 7200 block of E. County Road 600 N. When they arrived, the house had been overtaken by the fire, which likely started near the chimney in the attic and spread to other areas of the house, said Jim Engmark, fire chief.

“When we got there, there was a heavily-involved fire already on the roof. We tried to go in but immediately ran out of water and had to wait for tankers to get there,” Engmark said. “By that time, the fire had spread further through the attic and the whole house. The wind was heavy and pushed the fire as well. We had to back our crews out and go to defensive attack. Basically, all the crews were … fighting the fire from the outside.”

The house’s two occupants, a husband and wife, made it out safely, along with their cats. One firefighter suffered minor injuries and received medical treatment at the scene, but did not require hospitalization. Amity, Fairland, Franklin, Greenwood, Marietta and Whiteland fire departments all assisted in putting out the fire, though they didn’t fully extinguish the flames until about 3 a.m., he said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, and the amount of damage is not yet known. The couple is staying with family, Engmark said.

Fire Angels, a nonprofit that assists fire victims, was at the scene to give the couple food, water and toiletries, said Brittany Painter, the organization’s president.

“The next steps are working with them to make sure they have their medications. We’re working on getting them a gift card to get all the things they’re missing, and working to get someone out there to see if anything can be salvaged,” Painter said.

Chimney cleaning is key to avoiding fires, Engmark said.

“Have your chimneys inspected on a regular basis and cleaned out,” he said. “I’m not saying that was the issue, but always make sure it’s good and clean on a regular basis.”