House a total loss following Sunday's fire
BUTLER TWP — The township fire marshal deemed 123 Irene Drive a total loss after fire caused severe damage to the house and garage Sunday.
The cause of the fire is unknown, Fire Marshal Larry Christy said after investigating the burned remains of the structure Monday afternoon.
Christy said the blaze appeared to have started in the garage and is not suspicious.
Homeowner Howard Killmeyer was at home around 4 p.m. when he heard his smoke detectors going off and saw smoke coming from his garage. He was able to get his Chrysler Pacifica minivan out of a second garage before the fire spread.
Killmeyer on Monday said he was thankful he had changed his smoke detector batteries a couple months ago and that he heard them going off.
“It's a good thing it happened in the daytime. If it was in the night I could have been in a deep sleep,” he said.
Christy estimated the damage at $200,000 to the structure and $50,000 to the contents. One neighboring house suffered damage to its siding from the heat.
The garages contained an ATV, two riding lawn mowers, a Kubota tractor used for hunting trips and a log splitter — all of which were destroyed, he said.
The house will be posted with an unsafe for occupancy sign and an insurance adjuster will work with the township to further investigate the fire or proceed with demolition, Christy said.
The attached garages were destroyed by the blaze and there was also significant fire damage to the back of the house and smoke damage to nearly all the contents. A wood pile next to the garage also caught on fire and firefighters had to remove the burning logs one at a time to spray them down.Killmeyer built the house and had lived there for 57 years.He was able to get back inside the structure Monday and salvage a couple items, including his wallet from the kitchen and some tax forms in the basement. Firefighters removed several hunting rifles and shotguns from the house Monday, which township police turned back over to Killmeyer.Numerous neighbors and friends have offered help, most of whom he turned down.The American Red Cross responded to offer aid Sunday and Killmeyer said he has two adult daughters in the Butler area who are able to help him out while an insurance settlement is being worked out.Killmeyer, an 80-year-old retiree, said he would like to remain in the neighborhood, though he has specific criteria.“I love it here, but wherever I end up I've got to have a garage. I love the garage,” he said.
