LOYAL. LOCAL. COMPLETE.
On the afternoon of Tuesday, Aug. 6, EMS personnel and firefighters were called to an address on Clinton Road following reports of a house fire. Many fire trucks and ambulances covered the yard surrounding the home, but there were no flames visible on the exterior of the structure. Officials on the scene walked in and out of the house.
The Prairie Press has contacted the Paris Fire Department for more information and is awaiting a response.
UPDATE – Aug. 7, 9:50 a.m.
Authorities confirmed there were no injuries and no major damage to the house as a result of the fire.
“They (residents) were not home and they left to run some errands and left some candles burning in the house,” Rick Eastham, fire chief of the Paris Community Fire Protection District (PCFPD), explained to a Prairie Press reporter.
“They had reported that there was a sack of clothing… jackets I think, it was somehow knocked over and caught fire… it melted and dripped on the floor and burnt a hole in the floor,” he explained. “There was moderate damage in the kitchen… but no one was hurt.”
When the fire was reported Eastham did not know what to expect, but in the end, he says the homeowners were “fortunate” that they came home in time and that officials took quick action.
While several fire units responded to the call, Eastham gave credit to Horizon Health’s EMS personnel, who were the first to arrive.
“I will have to give credit to Adam Webb the EMS director,” he explained “He saw a small fire through the window and had two fire extinguishers… he went in and took the fire out… he saved a lot of damage”
As a word of warning, Eastham wants to make sure residents know that “candles should not be left burning when you are not home.”
This is an evolving story. The Prairie Press will provide updates as they become available.