Fire in Sherman Twp. mobile home quickly extinguished.

By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief.

SHERMAN TOWNSHIP — Jim Shanklin was watching television when he noticed fire around the chimney of his single-wide mobile home at 5525 N. Custer Road, about 1:50 a.m. Tuesday morning. He said he called 911 and then followed the dispatcher’s instructions of getting out of the home. However, he decided to take action while waiting for the fire department and grabbed a garden hose and got on the roof of the structure.

“I had most of it out before the fire departments got here,” he said. Shanklin lives in the uninsured 48-year-old trailer alone with his dog.

Soon firefighters from Fountain Area, Free Soil/Meade and Custer fire departments arrived and extinguished the remainder of the fire.

Shanklin damaged his foot in the process of trying to extinguish the fire and was looked after by personnel from Life EMS ambulance. He didn’t seek further medical treatment.

Fountain Fire Chief Roger Berndt confirmed the fire started in the chimney. He said fire spread into the rafters of the trailer, but firefighters were able to knock it down quickly.

“There’s some smoke and fire damage, but overall it was a good save,” Berndt said.

Firefighters were clear of the scene in just over an hour.