Four fire departments battled Myrtle house fire

A single-family home on Angel Street in Myrtle was destroyed by fire Monday afternoon, June 13.

Myrtle Fire Chief Clay Morman said his department was dispatched shortly before 4 pm.

“Ninety percent of the residence was fully involved in fire when we arrived,” said Morman. “We were glad to have a fire hydrant nearby.”

A Myrtle fireman entered the flaming house to attack the fire and check for any people inside. He was startled by a small dog. The dog jumped into the fireman’s arms and was removed from the building unharmed.

The residents of the home, a man and wife and small child were away when the fire started. The husband, a truck driver, was in Ohio at the time.

Temperatures near 100 degrees and high humidity added to the hazards of fighting the fire.

“Fortunately, we had a lot of help, a lot of manpower and plenty of equipment,” said Morman. Firemen from West Union, North Haven and New Albany joined the Myrtle department to extinguish the blaze.

Two firemen received minor burns that did not require treatment.

“We put out the fire and salvaged what we could for them. No lives were lost and there were no serious injuries,” said Morman. Among the items salvaged was the couple’s framed marriage license.

Charred firefighter’s helmet.

Fireman Jack Whiteside exits burned home. Photo courtesy Casey Whiteside.

In the feature photo, Jack Whiteside, a fireman with both the New Albany and North Haven departments, is shown as he exited the house. His charred fire fighter’s helmet is shown lying on the ground next to an empty water bottle.