The Wayne Volunteer Fire Department was called to the report of wiring burning at approximately 6:30 p.m. on New Year’s Day.
The call came from approximately 4 1/2 miles south of Wayne. Fire personnel could not find the source of the fire. Later, an electrician determined that the wiring on a freezer had burned.
No one was injured and damage was limited to the freezer.
While the firefighters were on the scene, a call for mutual aid came in from the Wakefield Volunteer Fire Department.
A ladder truck, and eventually 15 Wayne firefighters and more equipment, responded to a house fire at 501 West First Street in Wakefield. Allen Volunteer firefighters also provided mutual aid.
The Wayne department remained on scene until approximately 11 p.m.
Wakefield Fire Chief Adam Ulrich said the homeowner heard a "pop" and then some of the lights in the house went out. The department was called to the fire at approximately 7:45 p.m. and remained on scene until 11:30 p.m. when they returned to the fire hall. The firefighters were paged out again at 4:40 a.m. when a neighbor saw flames coming from the same house. The house was fully engulfed in flames and was completely destroyed. Firefighters remained at the scene until late Saturday morning.
None of the home's occupants - two parents and three sons - were injured in the fire. The American Red Cross and several other agencies have been working with the family to provide assistance.
The cold temperatures caused the water to freeze and the area became slick for the firefighters battling the blaze; however, no one was injured in the incident.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to provide assistance to the family. Anyone wishing to contribute may do so at: https://gofund.me/eb6e941b.
