COLUMBUS – Columbus firefighters battled a fire that consumed a home at 921 California Street Monday morning.
Columbus Fire Department, firefighters alongside Columbus Township Fire and Rescue Department were called to blaze around 10 a.m. Monday. When firefighters arrived the single-story rental home was engulfed in flames. No one was at home when the fire started. Two dogs in the backyard were uninjured and taken from the scene by Columbus Animal Services.
Extreme heat from the flames made battling the blaze difficult. The fire had spread quickly into every room of the house and into the attic. Firefighters were ordered to retreat from inside the home and battle the blaze from the exterior.
The fire caused a portion of the roof to collapse allowing firefighters to spray water inside from above the home to gain control of the blaze.
The fire and intense heat caused minor damage to the siding of a neighboring home.
Firefighters were on the scene for more than four hours. The home is considered a total loss with damages estimated at more than $50,000.
Also assisting at the scene were Columbus Police Department, Columbus Regional Health Ambulance Service, Duke Energy, CenterPoint Energy, Columbus City Utilities, and the Bartholomew County Emergency Operations Dispatch Center.
