Weekend Fire Destroys Home South of Valentine

The initial call came in just after 1:30 on Saturday. Two flare ups following the initial call left the home a total loss.

According to Valentine Volunteer Fire Chief Terry Engels, the fire at the Hammond place south of Valentine on highway 97 left the house a total loss.  The initial call came in just after 1:30 on Saturday for a garage fire at mile marker 132 on the highway.  By the time first responders arrived, the fire had fully engulfed the garage and was spreading into the house.  Despite a quick response to the initial fire call, there was severe damage to the house.  A second call came in that evening to a flare-up which was quickly contained, however the blaze rekindled in the overnight hours and prompted a third call to firemen at about 2:35 Sunday morning.  This time, the house was a total loss.  The State Fire Marshall’s Office was called after the initial fire call and investigated prior to the flare ups, determining that the cause of the fire was electrical in nature.  No injuries were reported.  Along with the Valentine Volunteer Fire Department and Fire Marshall’s Office, the Cherry County Hospital Ambulance Service and Cherry County Sheriff’s Office also responded.