The second story of a house on Harrison Ridge Road was destroyed after a fire broke out in the downstairs bathroom.
The fire was reported just after 7 p.m. Sept. 18 in the 1000 block, according to dispatch logs.
Brown County (Nashville) Volunteer Fire Department Chief Nick Kelp said the cause is undetermined.
When firefighters arrived they found smoke and fire showing from the roof, Kelp said.
Putting out the fire was difficult because the home had lath and plaster walls instead of drywall.
“It was a good and bad thing,” he said.
“The building construction probably saved the building.” Lath and plaster “takes a longer time to burn, so that helped us. But the downside of that is it’s also harder to get through, so that was a challenge.”
Kelp said the fire started in the wall and ceiling space of the first floor bathroom. Since the fire was hidden in the walls, firefighters had to cut through to extinguish it.
Everything on the first floor of the home was saved, but some belongings did receive water damage and would have to dry out.
Red Cross was called to help house the two people living there.
Kelp said the home would need renovations before they could move back in and he was not sure what the family was going to do or if they had insurance.
Nashville Fire was called back to the scene the next afternoon to extinguish smoldering spots.
Firefighters from Southwest Bartholomew Volunteer Fire Department and Harrison Township Volunteer Fire Department, along with volunteers from Fruitdale, Hamblen Township and Jackson Township departments assisted. Crews were on scene for five to six hours.
