Downtown fire destroys one Winamac building, damages others

Cause of fire 'undetermined'

WINAMAC - The cause of the downtown fire in Winamac Saturday (March 4) is "officially undetermined," according to the Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office.

The fire destroyed the brick Freeman building on Logan Street, and spread north to severely damage the next door Main Street offices of three attorneys.

 

This photo taken from a utility buck truck shows the aftermath of Saturday's fire in downtown Winamac. The Freeman building is at back, while the law offices are front left. Photo by Jake Berger

An investigator from the state fire marshal's office visited the scene Saturday afternoon to look into the cause and origin of the fire. It was determined the blaze began in the Freeman building, but no cause was determined.

The fire also resulted in smoke and some other damage the adjacent CPA street corner office owned by accountant Sue Peppers.

The nearby Canterbury Courts apartment complex was also threatened by the blaze. A firefighter was treated and released for a minor injury at Pulaski Memorial Hospital. Otherwise, no injuries were reported.

The fire was reported to the county's 911 dispatchers at the sheriff's office just before 9 a.m., Saturday. Crews from several area fire departments responded to the scene, including Star City, Francesville, Kewanna, Monterey, Bass Lake, Knox, Buffalo and North Judson. Firefighters remained at the site until late afternoon.

The building where the fire originated is owned by Jerry A. Freeman, Winamac.

Overhead photos of the fire's aftermath show the law offices of John Kocher, Dan Tankersley and Kevin Tankersley largely destroyed.

In a Facebook post late Saturday, Kevin Tankersley's wife Shelley reported that thanks to the help of firemen and friends, some office data was salvaged.

"The damage is bad, but thanks to the diligence of the fire departments and today's digital technology, our clients don't need to worry about their legal work being lost," she said. "Kevin and  (assistant) Colleen will be back at work on Monday,."

Over the weekend, the attorneys were offered, and accepted office space at the Winamac Coil Spring building, on U.S. 35 south of Winamac. Sue Peppers re-opened her office Monday morning.

Community volunteers helped supply the 100-plus firefighters and responders with drinks and food during the long hours of subduing the fire. Members of the Northern Indiana Red Cross came from Warsaw and Elkhart to help as well.

Also, internet provider LightStream reported Saturdy afternoon that due to fire in downtown Winamac, it was experiencing widespread outages. Until its crews are allowed access to the area, the company is unsure when it will be able to restore services. Additional aerial crews were called to the area to prepare for restoration.