By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
A vacant 1960s-era house near the airport in Toledo was heavily damaged by an overnight fire.
Its cause is under investigation.
Crews were called about 11:45 p.m. to what was initially suspected to be a brush fire in a field at the 200 block of Spencer Road, according to Lewis County Fire District 2.
Approximately 25 firefighters from three districts battled the blaze, which appeared to have started in the garage, Fire Chief Wiltbank said.
“I didn’t know it was a garage, I thought it was carport, there was so little left of it,” Wiltbank said.
Flames spread through the grass and also burned a small garden shed, he said.
The chief said the rambler is owned by a family trust of a man who is deceased and has been for sale for at least the past couple of years.
The home was unfurnished and empty, but crews were on the scene for about two and a half hours because they had to remove the sheetrock of the vaulted ceiling piece by piece.
“It was a tough, tough job,” he said. “Everyone was very tired when they got done with it.”