December 28, 1999

Fire drives minister, family from home

       An accidental fire — started by a box of embers cleaned out of the fireplace — extensively damaged a White River Township home and destroyed a minivan Sunday. The fire at the two-story house, at 748 Laurel Wood Drive in the Brentwood addition, was reported at 5:36 p.m. Sunday. White River Township firefighters could see it from their station half a mile away.  “As soon as they raised the doors on the fire house, they saw the smoke,” said Fire Marshal Eric Brown. It took firefighters about 25- minutes to get the fire under control. No one was injured, and firefighters were able to rescue the family’s pet gerbil.  The homeowner, the Rev. Mark Yost, his wife and their three children were going to stay temporarily with a member of the congregation from the church Yost pastors, Mount Pleasant Heights Baptist Church in Indianapolis.  “Most of the fire was contained to the garage, however there was smoke and heat damage to the rest of the structure,” Brown said.  An investigation revealed that the fire began in a box of embers that had been left in the garage.  A 10-year-old daughter had cleaned out the fireplace, discarding the ash into the cardboard box.  Unfortunately, the fireplace had been used 10 hours earlier and the embers were still hot.  They caught fire to the box and then to the garage wall.  Many of the family’s belongings were salvageable.  The minivan parked in the garage, however, was a total loss, Brown said.  Vehicle costs included, the total damage to the house was estimated at $90,000.  The house is insured and repairable.  (Reprinted with permission from the Daily Journal)

 

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