Downs family escapes house fire

Posted on September 28, 2017

By Howard Packowitz

DOWNS – Firefighters from four rural departments battled a house fire in Downs last night.

A family of five, including three children, escaped unharmed from the home at 101 North Pintail in the Mallard Point Subdivision.

Downs Fire Chief Michael Manint said the exact cause of the fire has not been determined, but the homeowner was grilling on the barbecue outside when the fire started.

Manint said the worst of the damage was to the home’s exterior, particularly the vinyl siding and the eaves, which is the part of the roof that connects with the walls. The chief said there was smoke damage inside. A dollar estimate of damage is not available.

Firefighters were at the scene for about two-and-a-half hours.

The Downs Fire Department was aided by firefighters from Bloomington Township, Heyworth and Leroy.

Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]

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