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Last updated on Thursday, May 8, 2014
(MITCHELL) - A fire caused extensive damage to the home of Reni French Wednesday night.
Mitchell Fire Department firefighters were called to the home in the 500 block of North Eighth Street after police received several 911 calls reporting the blaze, just after 6:16 p.m.
French and her family were not injured.
According to Mitchell VFD Chief Tyler Duncan, the fire started in an area outside of the home in some mulch that was near a privacy fence.
"Not sure what started the fire, but the homeowners thought they had put the fire out," Duncan added. "But they didn't get it all out, it spread up the privacy fence and the vines there and up the vinyl siding where the wind then pushed it through the attic vent."
When the 10 firefighters, with two trucks arrived the home was engulfed in flames.
"We went into a defensive mode to contain the blaze from spreading to the neighboring homes," Duncan says. "The fire was shooting out the other side of the attic and the wind was pushing it to the home to the north."
That wind also filled several homes in the area full of smoke.
"It was a nice day and they all had their windows open," Duncan says. "We had to ventilate one of those homes."
Duncan says the fire caused extensive damage.
"The roof was burned off," Duncan added. "We were able to save the backside of the home, but there was extensive damage. The drywall was falling down and there was a lot of water damage."
Firefighters were on the scene until 10:05 p.m.
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