Firefighters from Covington, Bradford and Pleasant Hill work to extinguish fire a home in the 5000 block of Rangeline Road in Covington on Thursday evening, June 15.
Courtesy photo | Mike Ullery
By Sheryl Roadcap
COVINGTON — The cause of a residential fire that occurred Thursday afternoon fire in the 5000 block of North Rangeline Road in Covington is still under investigation, but is suspected to be “electrical in nature,” according to Covington Fire and Rescue Chief Bart Weer.
The fire chief confirmed information previously provided by Mike Ullery that the fire was reported around 3:25-3:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 15. Ullery reported the first arriving units said some light smoke was coming from the single-story home and soon advised they had a working fire and that the family had evacuated the home.
The fire started in the front living room area, but it was contained and quick work by firefighters kept the blaze from spreading.
Weer said the resident of the property was out on his lawn mower when the fire broke out but thought he had smelled smoke earlier. It was a passer-by who saw the fire, stopped and used the garden hose on the property to begin extinguishing the fire before firefighters arrived.
“He really helped us and knocked some of it down before we arrived. He basically prevented (the homeowner) from losing his whole home,” Weer said by phone Saturday morning.
“Smoke damage is throughout the entire structure,” he said, “but the fire damage is in the front living room.”
The loss amount for the entire property is set at approximately $20,000, Weer said, with $15,000 estimated to the structure and a loss of $5,000 to its contents.
Bradford and Pleasant Hill Fire Departments assisted Covington Fire in the incident. Fire units cleared the scene around 5 p.m.
No one was injured in the fire, but the sole resident of the home has been displaced, Weer said. He has been in and out and is staying with family, the fire chief reported.
