(Spencer)– The Spencer Fire Department was called out to two separate fires Saturday.
The first call came in at 6:50 a.m. from a home at 2010 360th Street, just southwest of Spencer. Upon arrival firefighters found heavy smoke and flames coming from the northeast corner of the home. They were able to stop the fire from spreading to the rest of the house. Extensive damage was reported to the east 1/3 of the house, with heavy smoke damage throughout the rest of the structure. Damage estimates to the home, owned by Nancy Howe, could exceed 100-thousand dollars.
Three people who were in the homse at the time of the fire were taken by ambulane to Spencer Hospital. They were treated and released. An investigation by the Spencer Fire Department determined the cause to be improperly discarded smoking materials. Firefighters from Spencer and Fostoria were on the scene about four and-a-half hours.
Spencer firefighters were then called to a second fire around 9:20 p.m. Saturday. The caller reported a deck fire at a building in the 200 block of Grand Avenue, owned by City Attorney Don Hemphill. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire. A second crew entered the building and put out a fire that had started from the deck fire inside an upstairs apartment. No injuries were reported.
An investigation determined the cause was smoking materials on a deck chair. Damage was confined to the deck, with slight damage to the apartment.
Firefighters were on the scene about an hour.
(Story from Danielle Hitchings of sister station KDWD Hot 100 in Spencer.).
