2 families displaced, duplex damaged in Pine Manor fire

On Tuesday night, South Trail Fire & Rescue District told WINK News that a fire caused damage to a duplex. It happened in the 5000 block of Fourth Ave, near US-41 in Pine Manor.

Fire crews say both sides of the home have noticeable fire and smoke damage. You can also specifically observe a broken window and smoke damage near the roof.

The fire has been put out, but firefighters on scene are doing overhauls and trying to see what is salvageable.

As of now, two families are without a home. One side had one resident, the other side of the duplex had three. Luckily, there were no injuries and all parties were able to safely get themselves out of the home.

The Red Cross will be assisting these families with getting a roof over their heads for the night.

Amy Bollen, director of public relations, says house fires are always difficult, but it’s even more heartbreaking during the holidays.

“It absolutely breaks our heart,” Bollen said. “Any home fire any time of the year breaks our heart, and we just encourage people to do everything they possibly can to minimize mistakes, to always practice prevention, to do everything they can to prevent fires in their home. Especially during the holidays. We do see an uptick in fires when it’s caused by people that are cooking, and they’re not being as careful because they’re celebrating.”

This serves as a reminder for families to be extra careful when celebrating during the holidays, especially if they have decorations in their homes. Firefighters say those decorations can be very flammable.

It took 10 minutes to put the fire out. Crews do not know what sparked this fire or which side it started on.

WINK News is the Breaking News Authority and will update this story when new details are available.