In the span of about two hours, Madison County authorities scattered in seven directions rushing to a house fire, a motorcycle accident, a business fire, a four-car accident, a SUV rollover accident and more.

FIRE RAVISHES RURAL LAPEL HOME

The fire was so hot that the plastic bulb cover of a light post in front of the burning house melted and froze into place like an icicle.

But much worse was the sight that the lamp once lit.

An enormous white cloud of smoke formed a heaving cloak above and around the one-story brick home located at 6220 W. 100N, which had flames shooting out of it Friday afternoon.

The garage, which was noticeably more damaged than the house, may be where the fire started, according to the homeowner, said Pendleton Fire Chief Danny Gardner. The home belongs to Ryan and Dorina Flesher. Only their son was home at the time of the fire.

“He told me someone came and rang the doorbell to tell him about the fire,” Gardner said.

Firefighters from Lapel, Pendleton, Richland Township, Frankton and Hamilton County’s Wayne Township sped to the fire to assist.

“The fire had a tremendous head start over us before we got here,” Gardner said. “The garage was fully involved and the attic area of the house was 3/4 involved. It was burning through.

“The fire was contained to above the ceiling divider but parts of the ceiling fell through,” he said. “There is water and smoke damage below.”

Investigators were still working to determine the fire’s cause Friday evening.

Austin Castro, 12, had been at his grandmother’s home two houses away, and saw the scene before firefighters did.

“I was really scared. I got to there,” he said pointing to the home catty-corner to the burning home, “and felt it was really, really hot. It was just in flames. Then I heard a big crashing sound and it was the garage that had collapsed. Then there was another crash, and it was the roof.”

Wally Copeland, who lives a few houses from the home, got to the scene even sooner.

“I was here when it was just the garage, and it was completely engulfed,” he said. “It definitely started in the garage. The garage roof was pretty well on fire, but none of the roof (over the house) was on fire.”