No injuries were reported after one home was damaged and another completely destroyed in recent fires. Shortly before midnight on Thursday, a home on Carson Road north of Boonsboro was destroyed after a spark from a fireplace was thought to have ignited either the flue or the roof. By the time Station 4 firefighters arrived, the home was completely engulfed in flames. Incident Commander Tony Hill said the fire could be seen from the station and was greater than 90% engulfed by the time crews arrived. Around 25 fire personnel with nine trucks from Stations 1, 4, and Glasgow spent about four hours trying to contain the blaze in bitterly cold and windy conditions. Fire also consumed a nearby shed. Firemen were able to keep the flames from spreading along dry grass. Around 35,000 gallons of water were used.

While the home was a total loss, the owners said they had family nearby and were not in need of assistance.

A fire at 313 Crews Street in Franklin around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday was contained in about 20 minutes, but water and exploratory damage kept the occupants from returning to the house. New Franklin Fire Chief Anthony Martin told this newspaper that a report of smoke was called in, but the occupant, a volunteer fireman himself, did not see any flames. Crews used a thermal camera and sprayed the roof down. “We try to minimize damage as much as possible,” he said.

While the fire had not been investigated as of this writing, Martin suspects the fire was electrical in nature, caused by a faulty wire. It did not spread past the kitchen, and less than 1,000 gallons of water were used. Crews from Stations 2 and 4 were on scene for around two hours in sub-freezing temperatures, although Martin said the weather didn’t affect their ability to contain the fire.