Kinmundy-Alma Fire Chief Kevin Day had to call the fire department Saturday afternoon to put out a fire that spread rapidly through a large machine shed just ten feet from his home at 615 South Jefferson in Kinmundy.
Day says family members were working in the basement of their home when they heard a pop and his wife walked up the stairs and yelled ‘fire, fire, fire’. He reports the last person was in the machine shed just 20 minutes earlier, so the fire spread rapidly. The cause of the fire is currently listed as undetermined, with a State Fire Marshal to visit the scene. There was a space heater that was inside the building.
While the machine shed is still standing, everything inside, including a large number of tools that Day uses for his job along with many items used to put up the elaborate Christmas display each year at his home were a total loss. Day says there were also two vehicles inside the machine shed and two outside that were burned in the fire. One is used in his job of selling and servicing tools for fire departments throughout the region. The fire had enough heat to blacken and destroy the tools kept inside the truck.
Day says firemen were able to keep the fire away from the home, but some siding was melted as a strong west wind blew the fire in the direction of the residence. Kinmundy-Alma Firemen called Salem Firemen for mutual aid in fighting the fire. Fortunately, Day has a fire hydrant in front of his home providing sufficient water to fight the fire.
Day plans to rebuild the machine shed, the size of a three and a half car garage, along with a 25 by 60 foot addition. He’s not as certain about replacing all the elements for the large annual Christmas lighting display.
The fire call came in at around four Saturday afternoon. Firemen were on the scene until around six pm.
