‘Like a bomb went off.’ Part of Lexington house collapses during fire
A large house in the Beaumont area of Lexington partially collapsed after it caught fire Friday.
The house was “well involved” in flames, the fire department said as it initially asked people to avoid the scene where numerous department vehicles and personnel were deployed.
The blaze at the house on Savannah Lane near Beaumont Centre Lane was called in about seven minutes after 12 p.m., Battalion Chief Chris Ward said. Crews were on scene about five minutes later.
“We weren’t even able to make entry into the house; it was so far gone when we got here,” Ward said. “It was through the roof.”
There was “heavy damage,” Ward said, and the department was worried about further collapse.
Colleen Kelly said she was working in the neighborhood and was nearby when the house caught fire. She said there was thick black smoke in the sky.
“When it first happened, it looked like a bomb went off,” she said.
Hillary Schirmer, a resident in the neighborhood, said the neighbor next door to the burning house called 911 and then got away from the area.
The family wasn’t home at the time of the fire, fire officials said. Two dogs were in the home.
“Chances are, they didn’t survive,” Ward said. “They were in cages.”
Determining the cause of the fire is likely to take a while. “It’s going to be a long process, probably, before they determine where that fire started,” Ward said.
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This story was originally published December 11, 2020 at 12:55 PM.