Smoke swirls around a burning house as a firefighter (foreground) adjusts a fire hose during efforts to put out a recent house fire in Groveport. Three fire departments – Madison Township, Columbus and Rickenbacker – responded to a house fire at 4981 South Hamilton Road on Feb. 10. Madison Township Fire Chief Robert Bates said no one was in the house at the time of the fire and there were no injuries. It took firefighters 15 minutes to extinguish the blaze. Bates said a candle that was left burning is believed to be the cause of the fire. Bates said, “There is smoke damage throughout the structure, significant damage to the living area of the first floor, and a portion of the roof where the fire extended to.”Bates said the fire did not pose any unexpected challenges. “It was not unusual for houses of this age and construction type, but there was some extension into void spaces in the structure where additions to the original house had been made, and where there were multiple roofs where the fire extended into and was able to burn until the space was exposed,” said Bates. (Photo courtesy of the Groveport Police Department.)
