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01-18-04: Local fire damage tops $100,000

Dog lost in second St. Marys garage fire

By SHELLEY GRIESHOP
sgrieshop@dailystandard.com

St. Marys Township firefighters were kept busy Saturday fighting two blazes including one that caused more than $100,000 in damage to a Sandy Beach property.
The first call at 5:51 p.m., was a report of a garage fire at 3848 Argonne Drive, the home of Carman and Cheryl Musto. Oil heating in a turkey fryer in the garage apparently ignited the building, Fire Chief Stanley Brown said. The couple were reportedly waiting for the oil to reach the proper temperature when they spotted flames shooting through the garage door.
Twenty-five firefighters and six trucks responded to the call and upon arrival found the garage fully engulfed, Brown said. The fire already had spread to the attic area of the attached home, he added.
Firefighters attacked the garage from the exterior and the upstairs bedroom of the home from the inside, removing large amounts of drywall to help extinguish the blaze, Brown said.
The contents in the upstairs bedroom and another upstairs room were destroyed and the downstairs kitchen was heavily damaged by water and fallen ceiling drywall, the report said.
Also lost in the fire was a 1992 Honda Prelude, a 1974 deck boat and tools stored in the garage. A 1998 Chevy Blazer received moderate heat damage, he added.
The home was insured but left uninhabitable. The Musto family has moved to a temporary location and reportedly is being assisted by family and friends.
Assisting at the scene were seven St. Marys City firefighters, a pumper truck and squad, as well as four firefighters and an engine truck from Celina Fire Department.
Within five minutes of arriving back on station at 11:07 p.m., the firefighters were called to a second reported garage fire, this time at the home of Dan Frysinger, 12500 Plattner Pike. A heat lamp over a dog’s cage in the garage apparently ignited the building, Brown said.
While attempting to move the cage from the garage, Frysinger burned his hands and suffered smoke inhalation. He was treated for his injuries at Joint Township District Memorial Hospital, St. Marys.
The dog did not survive.
Frysinger managed to extinguish the fire before firefighters arrived and damage was estimated at $300.
Firefighters returned back on station at 11:57 p.m.

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