Fatal house fire reported on Pebble Road in Carrollton

The Carrollton Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire at 3040 Pebble Road SE in Carrollton at approximately 10:27 a.m. Jan. 20, which resulted in the death of a 62-year-old resident.

According to Carrollton Fire Chief Shane Thomas, a neighbor made the call, and the residence was believed to be occupied at the time. Upon arrival, firefighters found the house fully involved. Extremely cold, single-digit temperatures significantly complicated firefighting efforts.

“Water and single-digit temperatures do not mix very well,” said Thomas. “You have to keep a constant water flow to keep valves from freezing up. The low temperatures caused the cement block basement to steam a lot, and we had no visibility for quite some time.”

Those conditions, including the heavy steam, delayed firefighters’ ability to search for an occupant. Fire crews worked for two to three hours before conditions improved enough to conduct a thorough search.

The structure, described as a modular double-wide home on a block basement, had collapsed into the basement. There was also one to two feet of water in the basement from firefighting operations, further complicating recovery efforts.

“We used approximately 40,000 gallons of water to put the fire out,” Thomas said.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office was notified and responded to the scene. With assistance from J. Green Excavating, heavy equipment was used to cut and remove collapsed metal debris.

At approximately 3:50 p.m., crews located the victim. According to Thomas, the victim was believed to be renting the property. The cause of the fire and the cause of death remain under investigation.

Multiple agencies assisted Carrollton at the scene, including Dellroy, Perrysville, Loudon Township and Fox Township fire departments. Local support was also provided, with Jimmy’s Pizzeria and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office donating food and drinks for responders.

“We would like to thank J. Green Excavating, Jimmy’s Pizzeria and Sheriff Calvin Graham and his office for their help on this call,” Thomas said.

Chief Thomas noted that the department had responded to several fires in recent days, attributing the increase to extreme cold conditions that strain both equipment and personnel.

On Jan. 21, Station 11 of the Carrollton Fire Department was dispatched back to Pebble Road SE for a rekindle.