Marble Rock and other area firefighters battle house blaze and cold

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

Marble Rock firefighters and other area departments spent a cold night Tuesday responding to a house fire on Marble Rock’s Main Street.

Marble Rock Fire Department Captain Josh Chambers said they got the call about 9:45 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21.

“When we got there, there were flames visible from all four sides of the house coming from the eaves, so we proceeded to attack the fire from the exterior until we could make our way in and put it out from there,” he told the Press.

A post by the Marble Rock Fire Department on social media said, “The fire had too much of a head start on us to be able to save the house, but everyone made it out safely and there were no injuries to any personnel on scene. There was no damage to any surrounding structures.”

With temperatures in the single digits and wind gusts up to 30 mph, the weather added another factor to deal with, Chambers said.

“It did make things challenging. There was a lot of ice that added a lot of weight to things,” he said. “We did not have any issues with equipment, thankfully. Everything fared well in the cold weather as far as that goes. Did not have any issues with the water supply or anything like that due to the cold weather.

“It made a lot of ice and it made it really challenging working around the house. And of course, guys getting cold and that kind of thing, too,” he said.

Also responding to the fire were the Green Fire Department, the Rockford Fire Department, the Dougherty Fire Department, Floyd County Search and Rescue, Floyd County Emergency Management Agency and the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office. Green Volunteer Ambulance was on standby.

The rental home, at 115 Main St., was occupied at the time of the fire, but everyone was able to get out safety before the Fire Department arrived, Chambers said. A neighbor reported the fire.

The departments were at the scene for about 6 hours, Chambers said.

“The house is going to be a total loss,” he said, adding that the cause of the fire is currently undetermined.

Floyd County Emergency Management put the former occupants in touch with the Red Cross, and some local people are helping out with supplies, Chambers said. He said he heard that the occupants were currently staying with family members.

Both the Marble Rock Fire Department and Floyd County Emergency Management thanked the people and organizations that brought hot beverages and treats to the firefighters at the scene.