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Last updated on Monday, November 18, 2013
(LEIPSIC) - Firefighters from three volunteer fire departments battled a blaze that destroyed the Thorlton home Saturday night.
According to Orange County Rural District II Fire Department Chief Bill Sallee, the fire started in the kitchen area after the homeowner was cooking french fries and had left the room and came back to find it engulfed in flames.
Everyone was able to escape the home unharmed.
"When we arrived you couldn't see the house for the smoke," Sallee says. "It was coming from every crack in the house. I was putting on my fire gear, looked back and the southeast corner of the home was engulfed in flames."
Firefighters from Orange County Rural District II, Livonia and Marion were at the single-story modular home on North County Road 500 East until after 1:30 a.m. Sunday.
"Flames were 50 to 75 feet in the air," Sallee says. "Because the fire was being fueled by oxygen tanks that were in the house. We would be battling the flames and then the top would melt off one of the tanks and it was like a blow torch feeding the fire."
Two firefighters were injured while battling the blaze.
"Damion Gaddis, suffered a laceration on his finger that needed stitches and Steve Sallee fell through the floor and suffered a strained groin muscle," Sallee says.
Sallee says the home was destroyed.
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