House, garage damaged

An estimated $35,000 damage occurred to a Cloverdale area house and garage in a fire Tuesday afternoon.

Lightning was being investigated as a possible cause of the 3:13 p.m. blaze at the home of Kevin and Denise Oxford, 8602 E. Ind. 42.

Cloverdale Township Volunteer firefighters were dispatched for a garage fire, but upon arrival found the garage competely in flames and the siding on the house melting as well. When firefighters first arrived, three 100-pound liquid propane tanks were venting beside the garage, they were fueling the fire.

Firefighters called for Box Alarm 750, which brought additional resources to the scene. Responding to the scene were CTVFD's Engine 77, Tanker 78, Engine 75, Rescue 71 and Car 1, Greencastle Car 1 and Utility 5, and Jefferson Township's Tanker 82. Covering the township fire station was Greencastle Engine 2.

Cloverdale Township Fire Chief Kerry Shepherd reported the cause of the fire as undetermined, but noted that the fire was "reported during a severe thunderstorm which was producing a lot of lightning at the time."