Gaal residence suffers fire

The Washington Fire Department responded to a fire at the home of Bob and Krista Gaal Sunday morning. No injuries were reported. The Gaals live on Country Club Road on the south side of Washington. The fire department arrived at the scene at about 8 a.m. and put out the fire within 10 minutes.

Washington Fire Chief Tom Wide said the family was home at the time of the fire but was able to escape unharmed. When Wide arrived on the scene, he saw light smoke coming from the roof of the house. He later learned that the fire started in the fireplace vent. The fire traveled up the south wall and into the attic, where he said it did considerable damage. He is not sure how the fire began.

Wide originally called for mutual assistance from the Brighton and Wayland Fire Departments. After he could see the fire would be extinguished quickly, he called them back and told them they were not needed.

Wide said there is water damage to the house and damage to the roof. He said the firefighters had to take out a substantial portion of the ceiling in order to shoot their water cannons directly at the fire. He said most of the damage was in the attic, and that because the fire occurred so high in the house, the house did not suffer much smoke damage. Wide said he believed the house could be lived in again but that the roof would probably have to be repaired.