DaytonDailyNews.com

CENTERVILLE —

A mother and her teenage daughter escaped injury from a "big fire" that heavily damaged their house, garage and two vehicles and threatened neighboring homes Thursday, July 3.

Rich Palmer, Washington Twp. Fire Department public information officer, called the blaze at the single-story ranch home at 214 Waterford Drive in Centerville, "a big fire."

The house was fully involved when firefighters arrived, he said. The garage and two vehicles parked outside also were on fire.

Washington Twp. Fire Chief Bill Gaul said the fire started sometime before 9 a.m. He said the mother said she was in the kitchen when some black soot fell down on her from the ceiling and she noticed smoke coming from the ceiling area. Her one daughter had already left for classes at Wright State University, but her other daughter was in the house, Gaul said. The husband was not at home.

The mother yelled at her daughter that they needed to get out of the house, Gaul said. The fire department received a 911 call from the mother at 8:57 a.m., Gaul said. Palmer said the call was made from the house across the street at 205 Waterford Drive.

Palmer said the mother stated the fire was coming from the garage area. A cat in the house has thus far not been accounted for, he said.

Gaul said when the first fire crew arrived the flames were already coming through the roof, and the car and van just ignited.

"It was really cooking," he said, as "the tires exploded on the car and van." Witnesses reported hearing the explosions, but weren't sure what they were.

Waterford Drive is south of the Franklin Street area, just south of Tuxworth Road on the east side of Ohio 48. The fire threatened neighboring houses in the residential area, and firefighters went into a defensive mode, spraying the houses to the north and south to protect them. Despite their efforts, some of the siding on the house to the north, nearest the garage, melted, Gaul said.

Fire officials said they had no damage estimate nor a cause as of 3:22 p.m. Thursday. The cause is still under investigation, Palmer said. Additional private investigators have been called in to help look for a cause, and Centerville Police Sgt. Scott Owsley is also helping with the investigation, he said.

"There was so much damage, it's a challenge to determine a cause," he said. Once the fire got going it traveled through the attic, he said.

Gaul said he thinks the house might be declared a total loss, though Palmer said that still hasn't been determined. A part of the roof to the south did not burn and firefighters were able to salvage some of the home's belongings, Palmer said, though smoke and water damage also have to be accounted for.

Mutual aid came from Sugarcreek and Miami townships and Bellbrook.

Washington Twp. Fire Inspector Mike Long injured his shoulder while reaching for a large camera bag in his car after the fire was put out and had to go to the hospital to have it treated, said Palmer. It was a re-injury of an old injury, and not related to the fire inspection, he said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2341 or kullmer@DaytonDailyNews.com.