at 402 1st Street South at approximately 4:20 AM on 6/22/2012. According to Captain Chad Ray “The house was fully involved upon our arrival.” The heat was so intense that one firefighter received a burn to his face as he approached the house from the street. He was seen and released from Skiff Medical Center. “The responding crew did an outstanding job to knock the fire down as quickly as they did” reported Fire Chief Jarrod Wellik. “Fires like this pose a threat to the entire neighborhood. The amount of heat given off by a fire this size can easily ignite neighboring properties.” Wellik says. “Fast response by on-duty crews and aggressive fire attack are the reasons this fire was brought under control so fast. Neighboring properties were evacuated as a precaution.” The house was in use as a rental property and was occupied by two separate tenants. The house and contents are considered a total loss. The fire is under investigation by the Newton Fire Department with assistance from the Newton Police Department.
