Firefighters save 2 dogs in fire that destroys Springfield Twp. house

House fire closed part of U.S. 40 in Clark County.

A fully involved house fire in Springfield Twp. in Clark County closed a section of U.S. Route 40 east of Springfield on Wednesday morning.

The fire happened on U.S. 40, also known as East National Road, near Titus Road.

Crews were dispatched to the house in the 4500 block of East National Road at around 9:23 a.m. They had received reports of smoke and flames coming from the house.

The fire was put under control at around 11 a.m. However, crews remained at the scene until around 3 p.m., Wednesday afternoon, according to District Chief Rick Hawbecker, with the Springfield Twp., Fire Department.

Springfield Twp. firefighters reportedly rescued two dogs from the house. Residents of the home arrived at the scene as firefighters battled the blaze.

Meille Gryder, who lives at the home, said that three people and two dogs live there. She said no one was home when the blaze started.

But the dogs were and one of them was not initially responding after being rescued from the house. However, the dogs were given oxygen.

“Thank God our dogs are OK,” said Gryder, who learned about the blaze as firefighters were battling it.

Gryder initially thought it was the neighbor’s house that was on fire before learning that it was hers.

“They think it started in the garage,” she said of the blaze.

The origin and cause of the fire is still under investigation, said Hawbecker.

Crews from Harmony and Springfield townships were at the scene, as well as deputies from the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.

The fire closed the westbound lanes of U.S. 40, but those lanes have since been reopened.

The rear portion of the house appears to be destroyed. Hawbecker estimated a total lost to the property.

He said no one was injured in the blaze and that there were no other damage to surrounding houses.

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