UPDATE @ 2:15 p.m. 6/5/2015:
Investigation conducted by the Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office, insurance and Sugarcreek Twp. fire investigators, concluded the massive house fire was caused by hot ashes cleaned from a smoker and put in to a plastic trash can along the back wall of the home’s garage.
The house loss s valued at $615,000 and the content lost was valued at $450,000 due to cars lost in the burned garage.
PREVIOUS REPORT:
Flames briefly rekindled early this morning at the site of a massive fire that forced a family of five from their home.
Smoke detectors are credited with saving their lives and helping them escape without injury.
The family was inside when the alarms started to sound on Willow Creek Circle around 8:40 p.m. Sunday, according Sugarcreek Twp. Fire Chief Randy Pavlak.
The fire reportedly started in the garage and spread to the rest of the large ranch. The flames were shooting from the roof when crews arrived on the scene and could be seen from Wilmington-Dayton Road.
The house was a total loss, Pavlak said. It was valued at $800,000, according to records on the Greene County Auditor’s Office website.
Winds and the high angles of the roof contributed to the fire’s spread, he said.
The cause was not immediately known, and may not be determined until sometime today.