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Thursday, May 23, 2013 | 7:25 p.m.

Updated: 9:42 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2012 | Posted: 7:26 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2012

Man escapes, 2 pets die in Arcanum house fire

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Man escapes, 2 pets die in Arcanum house fire photo
Fire crews had to bring in water to extinguish a house fire in Arcanum. (Staff photo Jim Noelker)
Man escapes, 2 pets die in Arcanum house fire photo
Crews at a house fire on Gordon-Landis Road on Tuesday night. (Staff photo Jim Noelker)

ARCANUM, Darke County —

One person awakened by smoke and flames escaped a house fire Tuesday evening on Gordon-Landis Road that left a dog and a cat dead.

The Red Cross has been called in to assist the family of five, Arcanum Fire Chief Kurt Troutwine told News Center 7.

“They have basically lost everything,” he said.

Fire/rescue crews were dispatched to 2301 Gordon-Landis Road (also known as County Highway 42) at about 5:30 p.m. on a report of a structure fire. The house appeared to be a two-story wood frame built in 1900, according to Homes.com.

According to a preliminary investigation, the fire started on the stovetop and flames went up the wall to the upstairs, Troutwine said.

One young man was in the home alone and was able to escape unharmed.

“He was asleep at the time, and was awakened and was faced by heavy fire and smoke,” Troutwine said. “He told me he saw flames going up the wall. No one recalls anything cooking, but you know how that is, things get turned on accidentally.”

There were no smoke detectors in the home and the family apparently has no insurance, according to Troutwine. Fire crews had to bring water more than 1,000 feet from the lane off the road to the house. Firefighters pumped water into a tanker at the Arcanum City Building and brought it to the scene.

“This man is very lucky tonight that he made it out alive,” the chief said, noting this is the second area fire call in two weeks in which there were no smoke detectors.

Troutwine said it is very important to have smoke detectors in the home, noting that most fire departments give them away.

The dollar loss would be “several thousand,” he said. “Everything is pretty much damaged in the upper floor of the house and the lower back floor.”

Stay with News Center 7 for more on this story.

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