NEWS

House fire damages Gale Road home

Advocate staff report

HARRISON TOWNSHIP – A fire that likely originated in a chimney gutted an attic and caused significant damage to other sections of a one-story home Thursday afternoon in a rural portion of the township.

The West Licking Joint Fire District received a call at 12:35 p.m. reporting a fire at 6710 Gale Road SW.

When firefighters arrived minutes later, they saw "a lot of smoke" coming from the roof and attic of the home, West Licking Battalion Chief Harold Williams said.

The occupants were able to escape the home unharmed, but the smoke quickly turned to flames.

West Licking received mutual aid from fire departments in Granville and Hebron, and as firefighters fought the fire, smoke poured from the roof and attic.

Smoke continued to linger around the roof and attic even after West Licking deemed the fire contained around 1:10 p.m.

West Licking Battalion Chief Brad Williams said the fire likely originated in the home's fireplace or chimney and then escaped into the walls and then the attic and roof.

"Basically the entire roof and attic space is bad," he said. "The living area is good, but there is a lot of water damage. There also was some fire damage in the family room."

One firefighter escaped serious injury, Brad Williams said, when a section of the ceiling collapsed, hitting him in the head. Since it was mostly drywall, the firefighter was uninjured, he said.

West Licking closed off a section of Gale Road, south of Blacks Road and north of Beaver Run Road, while water tankers staged on the road in front of the home.

No damage estimates were available. Firefighters remained on the scene at 2:30 p.m. ensuring the fire did not restart.

Flames leap from the roof of a Gale Road home.
Flames and smoke can be seen above the roof of a Gale Road home.
Firefighters fight a fire that gutted an attic Thursday on Gale Road in rural Harrison Township.