Fire destroys home in Spencer

A fire that started in a garage and was fanned by winter winds destroyed a house occupied by a family of four in Spencer on the morning of Feb. 5.

The fire department was dispatched to the scene at 109 E. Spruce St. at approximnately 7 a.m., said Spencer Fire Chief Jason Foth. The flames had already engulfed the garage area of the ranchstyle home, and the winds following a Feb. 4 snowstorm caused it to spread rapidly.

“Snow was an issue for us,” Foth said. “High winds were also a contributing factor. It spread quickly just in the attic of the house driven by the high winds we had that morning.”

The four members of the John Zenner family, which rents the house, were home at the time of the fire, but were able to escape without injury. The house is owned by Larry Mannigel and received extensive damage to the entire structure.

The Spencer Fire Department received mutual assistance from departments in Abbotsford-Colby, Hewitt, Loyal, Marshfi eld and Stratford.

Foth said an investigation is continuing into the potential cause of the blaze.