Photo by RR Best
Firemen work to extinguish a fire located at a Bethany residence last Thursday afternoon. Wind gusts only fueled the fire more, which took responders nearly three hours to put out. The home has been ruled a total loss.

Gusts only intensify flames

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

A home located on the Bethany-Moweaqua blacktop has been deemed a total loss after a fire last Thursday.

According to Bethany fire chief Jim McMahon, the home belonging to Dorotha E. Bennett caught fire last Thursday afternoon due to what the state fire marshall investigation concluded was a candle.

McMahon added that wind gusts as high as 30 mph only fueled the fire, making for a total loss for the home, which was located a mile west of route 128.

“The wind was blowing straight through that house,” explained McMahon. “We’d knock the fire down, and then it would come right back on us.”

The fire was contained after approximately three hours and with the assistance of six other fire departments, including Sullivan, Windsor, Dalton City, Moweaqua, Findlay, and Shelbyville.

No injuries were reported.