Just after midnight on Friday, fire crews were called to a house fire on Cascade Street.
Chief Rich Etheridge of Capital City Fire/Rescue said the one-story, single-family home belongs to one of their own.
Property records show the home belongs to firefighter Kim Mahar who retired from the department in 2009.
“So this is not the way we wanted to do a little reunion. But he’s doing really well,” Etheridge said.
Etheridge said everyone escaped and there were no injuries, but the home has extensive fire, smoke and water damage.
“The initial crews arrived on scene and found heavy fire in the back half of the house. Several rooms were on fire and the back porch area,” Etheridge said.
Mahar’s experience fighting fires may have helped contain the blaze.
Etheridge said all of the doors and windows were closed after the family escaped from the home, a key in limiting the oxygen supply to a fire.
The retired firefighter also helped pull fire hose from the scene as crews gathered their gear when the fire was put out.
It took crews less than 20 minutes to get the fire under control. By 12:30 a.m., they were searching for embers in the rear of the home.
Etheridge estimated there was about $100,000 in damage to the home.
It was not immediately clear what started the fire. Etheridge said inspectors would seek the cause of the burn after it had been fully extinguished.
