Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued March 22 at 5:43PM EDT until March 23 at 12:00AM EDT by NWS Wilmington OH (details ...)

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 73 IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT TONIGHT FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS
IN INDIANA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 8 COUNTIES
IN EAST CENTRAL INDIANA
FAYETTE UNION WAYNE
IN SOUTHEAST INDIANA
DEARBORN FRANKLIN OHIO RIPLEY SWITZERLAND
IN KENTUCKY THIS WATCH INCLUDES 3 COUNTIES
IN NORTHERN KENTUCKY
BOONE CAMPBELL KENTON
IN OHIO THIS WATCH INCLUDES 32 COUNTIES
IN CENTRAL OHIO
DELAWARE FAIRFIELD FAYETTE FRANKLIN HOCKING LICKING MADISON PICKAWAY UNION
IN SOUTH CENTRAL OHIO
ADAMS HIGHLAND PIKE ROSS SCIOTO
IN SOUTHWEST OHIO
BROWN BUTLER CLERMONT CLINTON HAMILTON WARREN
IN WEST CENTRAL OHIO
AUGLAIZE CHAMPAIGN CLARK DARKE GREENE HARDIN LOGAN MERCER MIAMI MONTGOMERY PREBLE SHELBY
THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ABERDEEN, ADA, ALEXANDRIA, AURORA, BATESVILLE, BEAVERCREEK, BELLEFONTAINE, BELLEVUE, BLANCHESTER, BRIGHT, BROOKVILLE, BURLINGTON, CAMDEN, CELINA, CHILLICOTHE, CIRCLEVILLE, COLDWATER, CONNERSVILLE, COVINGTON, DAY HEIGHTS, DAYTON, DELAWARE, DILLSBORO, DOWNTOWN CINCINNATI, DOWNTOWN COLUMBUS, DOWNTOWN DAYTON, EATON, ERLANGER, FAIRBORN, FAIRFIELD, FLORENCE, FORT THOMAS, FRANKLIN, GEORGETOWN, GREENDALE, GREENFIELD, GREENVILLE, HAMILTON, HIDDEN VALLEY, HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, HILLSBORO, INDEPENDENCE, KENTON, KETTERING, LANCASTER, LANDEN, LAWRENCEBURG, LEBANON, LIBERTY, LOGAN, LONDON, MANCHESTER, MARYSVILLE, MASON, MIDDLETOWN, MILAN, MILFORD, MINSTER, MOUNT CARMEL, MOUNT ORAB, MOUNT REPOSE, MULBERRY, NEW BREMEN, NEWARK, NEWPORT, OAKBROOK, OSGOOD, OXFORD, PEEBLES, PICKERINGTON, PIKE LAKE, PIKETON, PIQUA, PLAIN CITY, PORTSMOUTH, RICHMOND, RIPLEY, RISING SUN, SEAMAN, SIDNEY, SPRINGBORO, SPRINGFIELD, ST. MARYS, SUMMERSIDE, TIPP CITY, TROY, URBANA, VERSAILLES, VEVAY, WAPAKONETA, WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE, WAVERLY, WEST COLLEGE CORNER, WEST JEFFERSON, WEST UNION, WHEELERSBURG, WILMINGTON, WINCHESTER, WITHAMSVILLE, AND XENIA.

Tuesday, January 7th, 2014

Overnight fire destroys area home

Firefighters from 12 departments battle blaze

By Shelley Grieshop

Twelve area fire departments battled extreme weather conditions to fight a blaze that destroyed a house overnight Monday.

No one was injured as dozens of firefighters from Ohio and Indiana attempted to extinguish the fire at 1065 Strable Road, about one mile east of Chattanooga.

"It was a total loss. ... The wind, the cold weather, there wasn't much we could do," said Chattanooga Fire Chief Doug Brehm, adding a damage estimate and cause was not immediately available.

The home reportedly is owned by Dennis Bollenbacher. He and his wife reportedly escaped the fire unharmed.

Firefighters were called to the scene shortly before midnight Monday and returned to the station at 6:30 a.m. today.

The fire reportedly broke out in the chimney, but Brehm said it was discovered in the floor and walls by the time crews arrived. Firefighters watched as water from their hoses turned to a snow-like mixture as it fell onto the home, he said.

"It would freeze in mid-air," he said.

The temperature fell to minus 15 overnight, according to local weather forecaster Dennis Howick. The windchill was more than 30 below.

Brehm said the crews did their best, but the weather prevented a good outcome. The two-story, vinyl-sided home was destroyed, he said.

The extra manpower at the scene allowed firefighters to rotate positions, preventing each from too much exposure to the frigid temperatures, Brehm said.

Fire departments assisting the Chattanooga crew were from Rockford, Coldwater, Fort Recovery, St. Henry, Ohio City, Willshire, Celina and Mendon in Ohio, and Monroe, Berne and Geneva from Indiana.

Archive of January 7th, 2014

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