House burns in frigid weather

“This was the one we were worried about.”As stated by Lovell Volunteer Fire Dept. Captain Bob Mangus to a reporter on site, a major structure in frigid weather is a tough situation for a fire department to tackle, and such was the case Monday morning when firemen battled a blaze in town that ultimately left a home a total loss, despite the best efforts of the fire crew.The call to respond to an attic fire came at 8:59 a.m., Fire Chief Jim Minchow said, and he and Mangus were on scene within moments since both were close by.A fire had broken out in the attic of a home at 330 Kansas owned by Gordon and Susan Jensen. It was an old house, likely built in the early 1900s, Minchow said – 1917, according to county records – and added onto at least three times over the years. The original house was a log home, with siding added later.Upon arrival, the firemen found that the fire had already “vented itself,” Minchow said, and had broken out through the roof above the refrigerator/hot water heater area of the home, with flames leaping into the sky on the north end of the house.“Both Bob and I were on scene at 9 a.m., and the first truck arrived at 9:04, the second at 9:06 and hooked to the hydrant,” Minchow said, adding that firemen “grabbed the ceiling nozzle” and went to work. He said 12 firemen were on scene working from three trucks – two pumpers and an air pack truck.“They stuck the ceiling nozzle through and started to knock it down, but when they went to hit another place they hit another ceiling in there and couldn’t get through,” Minchow said. “We started to hit it from the outside in certain areas and used the ceiling nozzle in other places where we could get through.”[caption id="attachment_12034" align="alignright" width="300"] Firemen rush to battle a house fire at 330 Kansas in Lovell Monday morning as flames leap from the attic shortly after 9 a.m. Firemen fought the blaze in sub-zero temperatures throughout the day.
David Peck photo[/caption]The first thing Minchow and Mangus had done when they arrived was shut off the gas and power to the house, but firemen had to pull back when electric lines inside started to arc as firemen were spraying water. It turned out that electricity from a breaker box in a shed behind the home was feeding back into the house.With Rocky Mountain Power unable to respond quickly, Minchow called Big Horn REA and a lineman shut off power to the immediate portion of the neighborhood.“About four or five places lost power for about 45 minutes,” he said.During that time, the fire rekindled and started to again spread through the roof and attic area, Minchow said, adding, “We had to start hitting hot spots and tearing the house apart on top. Unfortunately, there was a lot of water damage in the house, and eventually it started freezing.”“Tough conditions”Minchow said conditions were “very tough” for firemen fighting the blaze, with the temperature hovering between 10 and 15 below zero when the fire broke out.“It was a battle to keep water flowing without freezing up,” he said. “They (firemen) were getting wet and cold and soaked from end to end. Air packs were freezing up. It was very tough on the guys and the trucks. Later, a valve froze on a truck.”The Town of Lovell helped by bringing in a backhoe to hook to the roof and pull it off so firemen could get to hot spots in the lath and plaster.Around 2 p.m. Minchow and Mangus started relieving some of the firemen, sending them back to the fire hall to warm up, rest and eat some lunch. A second crew came in to finish mopping up and monitor the house for hot spots or rekindling.“We stayed on scene all night with a couple of guys,” Minchow said.The chief and state fire marshal Jerome King from Cheyenne examined the house Tuesday morning and determined that the fire was electrical in nature.“We kind of figured it was electrical,” Minchow said. “The outlets were overloading from wear and tear on the wires and finally burnt the wires and started the insulation on fire. The house had both blown-in and paper insulation. We figure it started a little bit before 4 a.m.“Later, Susan (Jensen) heard popping and smelled smoke. She woke Gordon up and called 911.”Both Gordon and Susan Jensen were able to get out of the house unharmed, along with four housecats, but the house was pretty much a total loss, Minchow said.“We were able to get some personal items out. Unfortunately, they were unable to obtain insurance (due to the age and type of dwelling),” the chief said.The Jensens have been able to secure rental housing for the time being.“I hope they’ll be able to salvage some of their stuff,” Minchow said.The chief added that battling the blaze was a team effort involving a lot of help from REA, the Town of Lovell and both the Lovell Police Dept. and the Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office. The North Big Horn Hospital ambulance crew was standing by, as well.

By David Peck