Fortunately, Munson Township homeowner Brandon Johnson and his family were out for the evening when a two-alarm fire destroyed their entire home Jan.18.
Fortunately, Munson Township homeowner Brandon Johnson and his family were out for the evening when a two-alarm fire destroyed their entire home Jan.18.
No pets were inside the house, at 12659 Rockhaven Road, during the blaze either.
Munson Township Fire Department C Shift Cpt. Brian Gray said they received a call around 10 p.m. When he arrived at the scene, he immediately called a second alarm, summoning help from 14 fire departments.
“The fire was fully involved when I arrived,” he said, adding the sky in Alpine Valley was orange from the blaze as he traveled west on state Route 322.
The second alarm was sounded because of high winds and freezing temperatures, Gray said.
The ranch house over a full basement was up a steep driveway in the woods, making it difficult to get to, he said.
In addition, the closest water was at a pond at Sherman and Rockhaven roads, he said.
“There was a terrific amount of teamwork and logistics,” Gray said.
The last fire truck departed around 5 a.m. Sunday when the house collapsed on itself and the fire appeared to be out, Gray said.
However, around 7 a.m., a township employee driving a snowplow noticed the fire had rekindled and the township brought out excavating equipment to break up the charred remains so the fire could be completely extinguished, he said.
Johnson and his family had left for the evening, but returned to the scene, Gray said, adding the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Johnson was at the scene the afternoon of Jan. 20 and said the value of the house was not his only loss.
His taxidermy equipment, a number of furs and other expensive items burned up in the fire, as well, he said.
The Geauga County Auditor’s Office lists the size of the house at 3,279 square feet and values it at $324,500.
