A fire heavily damaged a mobile home just north of Salem on Friday night.
The fire was at the Greg Thomas home at 2109 Maplewood Avenue.
Salem Assistant Fire Chief Bill Fulton says it was not clear upon their arrival if anyone was inside the mobile home that had flames shooting out the north side of the residence. After an initial knockdown, firemen searched the home without finding anyone. Thomas later arrived on the scene during the firefighting effort.
The cause of the fire will be investigated by the State Fire Marshal’s office on Monday.
Fulton says while the fire was confined to the northern third of the mobile home, the rest of the structure received heavy smoke and water damage. Thomas was able to save some of his possessions from the south side of the mobile home.
The home was located on the rear of a lot where another mobile home was heavily damaged by fire recently.
Fulton says there was not a good driveway to the Thomas home, so a long hose line had to be laid. Sandoval, Kinmundy-Alma, and Odin Firemen all provided mutual aid. Patoka and Kell stood by at the Salem Fire Station in the event of another fire.
Salem Firemen were called Friday morning to the Jake Rankin home at 3063 Robin Road southeast of Salem where an electrical fire had broke out in the attic. Firemen had to pull down blown-in insulation through a bedroom ceiling to put out the fire. There was some damage to the rafters. Firemen also removed smoke from the home. The fire call came in at 8:22 am after Rankin saw smoke puffing from under the roof. Kell provided mutual aid on the scene. Odin stood by at the Salem Fire Station in the event of another fire.
The third call was to the Erika Wedner home in the 1300 block of North Trenary. She returned home at 4:50 Friday evening to find a pan smoking that had accidentally been left on the stove by another occupant. The fire had gone out on its own. Fulton says the fire was confined to the pan and stove. Smoke was removed from the home.
