The Floyd County fire Territory and Highlander Fire Protection District stopped a heavy garage fire Saturday night.
According to Ryan Houchen of Highlander Fire, homeowners in the 100 block of Lee Drive heard the smoke alarms inside of the garage. After opening the garage door, residents found a heavy fire that had broken out, prompting them to close the garage door quickly to stop the fire’s spread.
When firefighters arrived, they found that the fire from the garage had breached the eaves and was spreading towards the main house by a connected breezeway.
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Firefighter faced two challenges before putting out the fire. The rural setting of the house meant there were no fire hydrants on the street, meaning firefighter had to set up a water shuttle using tankers to supply water. The second issue was that a hybrid car was inside the garage. Houchen says that these vehicles need specialized tactics and a large amount of water to cool the battery and prevent re-ignition.
The fire was brought under control within two hours of arrival. 40 firefighters participated in the operation, one firefighter was taken to a hospital for exhaustion but is expected to recover. No civilian injuries were reported.
The cuase of the fire is unknown. An investigation is being led by the Indiana Department of Homeland Security’s Fire Marshal.
