News
Cable Lane Fire Deemed Suspicious
< < Back to cable-lane-fire-deemed-suspiciousATHENS — An early morning fire at a house just outside the Athens city limits has been deemed suspicious, according to Athens Fire Department officials.
Photo by Chris Riddle / WOUB News
Fire crews responded at about 4:30 a.m. Friday to the fire at the top of Cable Lane, near the intersection of N. May Ave and Woodside Dr., according to a report from the department.
Before crews were even able to access the fire, half of the residence was fully engulfed in flames, and some of the woods around the home.
“We believe the fire started at the far end of the garage,” said AFD Chief Robert Rymer. “Because there were no electrical services to the home, we believe the fire is suspicious.”
The home was unoccupied at the time of the fire.
The Athens County Auditor’s estimate of the home was $188,000, but a damage estimate was not available. Fire investigators estimate 80 percent of the home was destroyed.
Because of the steep incline of the road and remote location of the home, crews had to use more than 1,200 feet of hose line to reach the fire. A typical fire uses about 100 to 200 feet of hose, Rymer said.
The Ohio State Fire Marshal has been called to assist in the investigation of the fire, and will most likely post signs on the property denoting a reward for information on the fire, according to Rymer.
The fire that started in the surrounding woods was contained and no other properties around the residence were affected.
Richland Area Fire Department assisted in responding to the fire.