Attic fire displaces family

(Photo by Randy M. Cauthron) Spencer firefighters spent much of the evening Monday trying to contain a fire at 824 Fourth Street Southwest. The entire attic was consumed by flames.

The Mark Lykke family has been displaced following a fire Monday at their home in the 800 block of Fourth Street Southwest in Spencer.

Members of the Spencer Fire Department were called at 3:36 p.m. to 824 Fourth Street Southwest. Heavy smoke was coming from the roof as firefighters arrived.

The Lykkes were at home when the fire started. They called the fire department when smoke made the fire apparent.

"It started in the attic area," Spencer Fire Chief Doug Duncan said. "We're looking at the area where the fireplace comes through."

The most probable cause for the fire was wood pyrolysis -- a term for the decomposition of wood due to high temperatures. Wood near a fireplace chimney caught fire from the chimney heat and the fire spread throughout the attic.

Duncan thinks the fire had been going for about an hour before emergency crews were called.

"When we pulled up, there was smoke puffing out of everywhere," Duncan said. "The eaves -- anywhere there was an opening on the roof -- it was puffing out. We knew we were a little behind on that one."

Firefighters attempted to cut a ventilation hole in the roof and simultaneously made an interior attack on the fire. They pulled down an area of Sheetrock ceiling near the center first floor of the home. That's when they learned the fire consumed the entire attic of the house.

"We were watching it pretty close," Duncan said. "We had some guys up there (on the roof) and you could see it sagging so we pulled them off. They got their hole cut to vent and we backed them off. We pulled some ceiling and got up in there. It was all over the whole attic."

The Spencer Fire Department brought in an aerial ladder truck to slow the fire from above while other firefighters tried to extinguish the flames from safe locations inside.

The fire was under control at about 7 p.m., according to Duncan. The department remained on scene until 8 a.m. Tuesday.

"We had some hot spots," Duncan said. "We just left the fire truck there with a crew and rotated in and out. We went in and put out a couple of hot spots."

The structure may be a total loss, but some contents in the home were saved due to the action of firefighters.

The family was at the house going through belongings Tuesday morning. The fire chief thinks the family is staying with relatives and has support from neighbors.

Spencer Firefighters were assisted at the scene by Spencer Ambulance, Spencer Police, Spencer Street Department, Spencer Municipal Utilities and several neighbors who provided food and drinks.