First Posted: 1/14/2015
OTTAWA — A three-alarm house fire in Ottawa sent emergency responders to a residence at 8:15 a.m. Wednesday at 717 E. Third St., an official with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said.
One man was asleep in the residence when crews arrived and responders had to wake him. Jordan Piper, who is in his late-20s, left the residence safely and there were no reported injuries, Assistant Fire Chief Rob Fawcett with the Ottawa Fire Department said.
It was a difficult fire to fight, Fawcett said. When crews arrived, it was apparent the fire had started on the first floor of the residence and spread up to the attic where smoke and flames were bellowing out of the eaves of the home.
The fire was suspected to be electrical as the wiring system supporting the heating unit was overloaded in the interior wall, Fawcett said. The breaker box attached to the wall short-circuited, starting the fire.
The two-story home featured three apartments within it and is owned by Tim Gable, of Leipsic. All three apartments were occupied, however there was only one person home when the fire started.
Both floors and all three apartments were effected.
Assisting the Ottawa Fire Department was the Ottawa Police Department, Kalida Fire Department, Glandorf Fire Department and Mutual Aid of Leipsic. Crews were on scene until about 2 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.
Responders put salt on the street for fear the water used to fight the fire would freeze in the cold temperatures.
The home was built before the 1940s and is valued at $82,420 and is going to be a total loss, Fawcett said. No surrounding properties were effected.
