Lightning likely to blame in home fire

EPHRATA — City firefighters have initially ruled lightning caused a blaze which damaged a family's home in rural Ephrata Thursday night.

The resident, Grant County Fire District 13 Commissioner David Kosa, was inside the double-wide manufactured home with his wife and three children when the fire started. They evacuated the home, located in the 2900 block of Road 11.3 NW, and called 911 about 8:20 p.m.

No injuries were reported.

The Ephrata Fire Department and district 13 firefighters battled the blaze for more than an hour and spent another two hours removing smoke from the home and investigating the cause.

The home's crawlspace received both fire and smoke damage. The living quarters suffered smoke damage.

A estimate has not been completed, but total damages are expected to reach several thousand dollars, said Ephrata Battalion Chief Kyle Foreman.

The home is insured.

"Based upon information received from the homeowner, and the obvious damage to the home's electrical service, we suspect lightning to be the cause of this fire," Foreman said.

The Grant County Fire Marshal will render a final determination, he said.

Twenty-five firefighters with three engines, two water tenders and one brush truck responded to the fire.