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Greencastle Banner Graphic

Garage a complete loss after Wednesday morning fire

Wednesday, January 30, 2019
By JARED JERNAGAN, Assistant Editor and BRAND SELVIA, Staff Writer
The garage as it was engulfed in flames during the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Banner Graphic/JARED JERNAGAN

A garage on the city’s East Side is a complete loss after it was engulfed by a fire early Wednesday morning.

The Greencastle Fire Department was dispatched to 1019 Avenue F at 1:29 a.m. for a reported structure fire. Crews arrived on the scene shortly thereafter to find a working garage fire.

With temperatures around zero degrees Fahrenheit and dropping, GFD crews, as well as those from the Cloverdale, Madison Township and Fillmore fire departments, all responded to extinguish the fire. The blaze was logged as being under control at 2:49 a.m.

The remains of the garage as could be seen late-Wednesday morning.
Banner Graphic/BRAND SELVIA

The Greencastle Police Department, Putnam County Sheriff’s Department and Operation Life were also on the scene.

GFD was the last unit to leave the property at 4:49 a.m.

According to information provided Wednesday morning to the Banner Graphic by GFD Fire Chief John Burgess, the fire most likely originated with a wood stove inside the garage. However, given the extent of the damage, a determination as to the cause of the fire is still ongoing.

"There's so much damage that we have no definite cause at this time," Burgess said. "As such, the fire is currently under investigation."

Burgess related that owner Dale Neiner was at his home near the garage at the time of the blaze. Neiner was unhurt, although siding on the west side of the house was melted. Two trailers parked near the garage also sustained minimal heat damage.

He also said that a pet was inside the garage when the fire began, but was rescued after first responders arrived. It is unknown at this time if the pet was injured.

Burgess estimated that losses from the fire amount to $80,000, which include the value of the garage itself and the contents that were inside.

Note: An earlier version of this story erroneously identified the building as a house.

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  • GFD Facebook page said it was a garage not a home. And it wasn't Thursday.

    -- Posted by Geologist on Wed, Jan 30, 2019, at 6:10 AM
    Response by Jared Jernagan, Assistant Editor, Greencastle Banner-Graphic:
    Thanks. I fixed it once I was awake this morning. These are the things that happen when you a) are trying to stay on a scene no longer than three minutes so you don't freeze your face off and b) are writing at 2 a.m.

  • Seems like recently we have a lot of people that think they are copy editors or at least wannabe. Why not cut everyone some slack, as the print edition of the B/G usually has all this worked out. Alternatively, the paper could just stop printing things quickly on their website so as to make sure everything has been properly edited for errors. Then you'll be complaining that the paper isn't reporting the news promptly enough. Everyone makes errors including those that feel the need to point out someone else's when they can remain anonymous.

    -- Posted by gustave&zelma on Wed, Jan 30, 2019, at 7:44 PM

  • These are the things that should cause us to appreciate our firefighters, emergency medical, and police first responders! In sub zero temperatures, they responded to fight a garage fire that was likely fully involved when they arrived. Conditions that are horrible at best in this kind of weather result in frozen hoses, frozen clothing, frozen eyebrows, eye lashes, hair, and beards. Why do they do it? Certainly not for the money! Oh, sure, they are paid, but not nearly what they are worth! They do it because these are good, decent, caring men and women whose goal is to "serve and protect". Give all of them everywhere more than just a passing thought, and pray for them each time you hear a siren!

    -- Posted by vincenteunice46 on Wed, Jan 30, 2019, at 7:55 PM

  • rosco&ginger: It's not wrong to point out an error, not to be critical, but just to get a correction posted. Or would you prefer wrong information be a permanent part of an article?

    -- Posted by Ben Dover on Wed, Jan 30, 2019, at 8:35 PM

  • There is a right way and a wrong way to respond to an error. Some comments lately have been very critical of the B/G and I think that is what Roscoe&ginger were saying. Many kudos to the reporter for doing his job in this weather and that time of day.I myself have commented on errors I feel are important, not to criticize the editor.Many thanks and praise for all our emergency personnel and also to the ones who inform us of local happenings.

    -- Posted by Nit on Thu, Jan 31, 2019, at 9:25 AM
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