Published: August 19, 2008 11:55 am            

Flames engulf New Albany home

A home at 317 E. 9th St. in New Albany became engulfed in flames Monday afternoon as a crew was remodeling the exterior.

Betty Sprigler said her son and daughter-in-law, owners of the house, were both out of town when she heard their house was on fire at about 1:30 p.m.

No one was inside the house, and the family dog, a Great Pyrenees named Carson, was rescued safely.

Sgt. Jodie Wilson, investigator for the New Albany Fire Department, said the fire began in a wall cavity on the first floor and spread quickly to the attic.

“The second floor is almost a total loss because of heavy fire and smoke damage,” Wilson said.

There was also moderate water and smoke damage to the first floor, but Wilson said they were able to protect many of the family’s belongings inside the house.

Wilson said he is still investigating the cause of the fire, but a work crew had been using a heat gun to remove old paint from the exterior of the house about the time the fire began.

The workers called 911 to report the fire. Wilson said he is looking at evidence at the scene to see if it matches up with the story given to him by witnesses.

Sprigler said the owners had been working on the home off and on since they bought it four years ago.

“I can’t believe it,” Sprigler said. “They have spent so much on remodeling this house.”

At least a couple of firefighters were treated for minor heat-related problems. One fireman was hit in the head as part of the ceiling began to collapse, but he was not seriously injured and returned to work after a short break, Wilson said.

        

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