Washington County family loses home to blaze
MUSKINGUM TWP — Embers reignited 1075 Huck Road twice Wednesday morning following a lengthy firefight Tuesday at the Stoke family home.
Chief Josh Harris, of the Lowell-Adams Fire Department, monitored the building with the aid of additional tankers and departments Wednesday, calling in Beverly, Salem and Fearing units to add to the manpower provided by surrounding volunteer departments from Oak Grove, Warren, Williamstown, Reno and Devola back out for a second and third time in less than 24 hours.
“This was a team effort because that was a tough, tough, fire to put out,” said Harris. “I was guided by the leadership of Dan Ritchey (Reno), Todd Meeks (Reno) and Jim Ullman (Beverly) and we drop the titles to just lead in the time of disaster.”
The 1075 Huck Road home rests in the western end of Muskingum Township, northwest of Oak Grove’s main community, but south of Arnold Road.
After the scene cleared by 11 p.m. Tuesday, the fire began again a few hours later.
“There were flames rising again at 2:30 this morning into the trees,” said Township Trustee Gary Doan, who lives two doors down from the property. “Then right as I got back to sleep there were flames again at 6:30 a.m.”
Harris said at 3:15 a.m. the blaze was hotter than when the surrounding fire units responded Tuesday night.
“The walls were solid,” added Brian Pracht, a volunteer with Oak Grove’s unit. “The insides were traditional studded walls, but the outside was vinyl covering so it’s a three-piece wall which meant the heat could fester.”
The charred remains of the house were finally smoke-free by 12:30 p.m. Wednesday after the use of between 30,000 and 35,000 gallons of water and 180 gallons of foam.
“We only had two choices today to prevent the fire spreading to other personal properties,” explained Harris. “Either we would bring in an excavator or a ladder truck. But we made that call, and the young guys from all the departments stepped up, looked out for each other and took our direction well.”
Ritchey explained that excavators are used to break up the walls of a house on fire, to make the crushing of the source of the flames more controlled.
Current owners Larry and Jessica Stoke were put up in a Marietta hotel Tuesday night after the flames engulfed their home, Larry said his family will stay there for the foreseeable future as they look to rebuild their lives.
“We stayed at the Fairfield Inn after the (American) Red Cross came out and gave us a voucher,” said Larry. “I talked with my insurance company, and now we’ll just have to see where they say to begin picking up the pieces.”
Larry had believed Tuesday that the family’s 8-year-old black labrador Max had made it out of the fire.
“But then they found him back in the sunroom,” he said as his voice cracked Wednesday. “He probably went back in for me, that’s his nature to want to protect, and my wife got the family out and him out but I wasn’t there yet.”
His father, Larry Stoke Sr., monitored the last of the firefight from Doan’s yard Wednesday and said he was thankful his grandchildren had a comfortable place to turn at the Boys and Girls Club of Washington County Wednesday.
“It’s Kassandra’s 13th birthday today, and this is a heck of a birthday present,” he said.
Liz Johnson, a nearby neighbor of the Stokes, said Wednesday that Jeremiah’s Coffee House, of which she is a co-owner, would serve as a place for clothing donations for the family through Friday.
Kristina Howard, 29, of Lower Salem, lamented the demise of the property Wednesday, explaining it was the home both she and her sister grew up in.
“My sister lives in Columbus now, and she was texting me upset yesterday, we have so many memories from here,” said Howard. “That’s the house I grew up in. My dad built the horse stall beside it, and that’s the house I brought my daughter home from the hospital to.”
The fire is believed to have been caused by a water heater in the basement.
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How to Help
* Jeremiah’s Coffee House in Marietta is collecting donations of clothing for the Stoke family through Friday.
The shop is collecting:
* Medium women’s shirts
* Large men’s shirts
* Size 10-12 women’s pants
* Women’s medical scrubs
* Size 8.5 and 9 women’s shoes
* Size 34/32 men’s pants
* Size 9.5 men’s shoes
* Size 9 junior girl’s pants
* Size 10 women’s shoes
* Size 8 boy’s clothes
* Size 4 boy’s shoes