Published: October 24, 2009 10:18 pm      

Fire consumes Walton residence

Firefighters fought for several hours to extinguish blaze

WALTON — Jim Grimes helplessly looked on from the farmland next to his house as firefighters worked to extinguish the flames consuming the Walton residence.

Thick smoke continued to escape from the openings made by firefighters in the roof and through the broken windows. Flames shot up the back portion of the second story and the roof finally gave way.

“I don’t know what happened,” Grimes said. “It’s just unbelievable and the wind, there’s just no way to save it.”

Walton Fire Department received the call at approximately 1:30 p.m. Saturday and responded to the two-story structure fire, located at 6292E 600S in Walton.

Grimes and his family have been living in Arizona for five years, but had been renting out the house where they lived for 10 years. After the last family moved, Grimes had to make upgrades so no one was living in the house at the time of the fire.

Contractors had just completed work in the home and Grimes came to Walton to look it over. While in town, he decided to install new carpeting.

While tearing out the old carpet in the front room, he heard a strange faint bell sound coming from another portion of the house. He believed the bell was an old fire alarm.

“I went to check where it was coming from,” he said. “I looked in the room and just saw flames, so I ran out and called 9-1-1.”

Walton firefighter Dave Jump said it was believed the fire may have started in the attic, but was not certain. On their arrival, Walton firefighters witnessed heavy smoke blowing from beneath the eaves of the house across U.S. 35. The highway was closed for a while due to smoke and emergency equipment.

“The fire broke through the east side of the house about an hour after we arrived,” he said. “The house had been remodeled several times and there are several ceilings, so it’s been hard to get to the source of the fire.”

After a number of firefighters were sent inside to attack the fire, the roof began to cave in and Jump said the men were called out.

Jump expected it would to take several hours for the firefighters to get the fire under control.

Onward, Galveston, Logansport and Young America fire departments provided truck and manpower assistance at the scene. The fire is still under investigation.

The house sustained extensive fire and water damage and was expected to be a total loss.

Grimes was thankful for all the firefighters who came out to help fight the fire.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” he said. “ I have a lot of mixed feelings. I just don’t know what to think or to feel.”

• Denise Massie is a staff writer at the Pharos-Tribune. She can be reached at 574-732-5151 or denise.massie@pharostribune.com