Firefighters Return To Find Blecher House Fully Engulfed

Neligh firefighters were called back to Mike and LouAnn Blecher 's home at 2:13 a.m. Friday morning to find the ranch style home fully engulfed in flames. Neligh police drove by the home at 2 a.m., and no flames or smoke were visible.

"It happened that fast. The call came in at 2:13," Neligh Fire Chief Mike Mortensen said. "It's crazy, but it happens and it's not the first time it's happened. It's just disappointing because the guys pride themselves on their ability to save structures, and this initially was a save."

Mortensen said the home at 807 East 3rd Street is now ruled a total loss.

The fire marshal inspected the scene after the first fire, and Mortensen said it's believed that a wall mounted 110-volt electrical heater in the attached garage malfunctioned and caused the fire that was called in at 3:53 p.m. Thursday. He said the fire breached through the attic of the garage and into attic of the house.

Due to a remodel project set to begin soon, much of the household items were in either the garage or rooms near the garage and were destroyed by the fires.

The last truck left the original scene around 8 p.m. Mortensen said nothing in the home showed above 90 degrees on the infrared when firefighters cleared the location.

Mortensen said he suspects the flare-up was caused by a hot spot in the insulation on the south side of the home above the cubby hole.

"The problem is the way the house was constructed made it difficult to fight the fire," Mortensen said. "There were so many roof pitches because it was added on to and remodeled."