News
Motorcycle Causes Coolville House Fire
By: WOUB Staff Writer
Posted on:
A motorcycle repair goes wrong and an Athens County couple is homeless Tuesday afternoon.
"I guess they were working on a motorcycle on the porch and trying to get it started and apparently it must have backfired," says Chief John Coen, Coolville Volunteer Fire Department. "And, of course, a motorcycle on the front porch… it didn't take long to get the house going too."
Additional crews were called in to fight the fire, but because the structure was so involved when first responders arrived on scene there wasn't much they could do to save the home. "We just went right in with some hoses and got a good knock down on it," says Coen. "But the whole house is pretty well gutted. That's the upstairs as well as the downstairs."
The couple living in the home rented from Franklin and Pamela Washburn. Pamela says when she learned of the fire, all she could think about was the safety of her tenants. "Hoping the kids that live there were safe. That was my first priority," Washburn says. "They're good kids. They just move in a little over a month ago. Young couple, they have it tough, they're young."
Although the future of the property is unsure, Washburn says her heart goes out to the young couple. "I feel sorry for the kids, you know? They were young, just starting out and I really feel bad for them," Washburn says. "This was an accident and accidents happen."