Fire razes rural Millersville home

A fire destroyed a rural Millersville couple's home Saturday morning.

At 9:10 a.m., the Millersville Fire Department was called to the home of Jack and Peggy Knowlan at 3748 County Road 361. By the time firefighters arrived, the house was engulfed in flames.

Fire chief Jerry Aufdenberg said that he could see smoke rising from the building from eight miles away while riding in the first truck to respond to the fire.

The department's response time, he said, was only 11 minutes.

The fire is believed to have started in the flue, Aufdenberg said. High winds gusting at 25 to 30 mph then blew the fire into the second story of the home, causing the blaze to spread quickly.

The home's shingles were made of wood and also caught fire quickly.

The couple was home at the time, but they suffered no injuries, despite the fact that Peggy Knowlan was in bad health and unable to carry herself out of the home. Her husband was able to drag her out of the home and into a pickup truck before the blaze spread.

There was nothing left of the home, Aufdenberg said, but the couple was able to salvage the truck they drove away in and a van they towed behind.

Firefighters from Delta, Fruitland, Whitewater, Marble Hill and Gordonville aided the Millersville department. The last of them left the scene shortly after 5 p.m. No firefighters were injured in battling the blaze.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182