Rural Whitehall house lost in fire

For the second time in about a month, a house in the Whitehall area was lost due to fire.

What started as a woodshed fire last Friday quickly turned into a house fire, according to a press release issued by the Whitehall Volunteer Fire Department.

The release said the fire department was paged to N37845 Rebarchek Lane in the town of Lincoln at 12:16 p.m. last Friday with a report of a woodshed fire with a home that was threatened. While the department was en route, dispatch advised that the house had started on fire and the flames were spreading quickly.

The fire department arrived at 12:26 to find the woodshed fully engulfed and the west side of the home also on fire. The remainder of the house was threatened at the time.

The Blair-Preston, Pigeon Falls, Independence and Hale fire departments were dispatched and the fire was extinguished, but the home was is considered a total loss due to heavy smoke, fire and water damage.

 The home is owned by Ross and Julie Witt. No people or animals were injured in the fire, but a GoFundMe set up to offer financial support for the Witt family reported nearly all personal belongings, food and clothing was lost. 

The Witt home was the second to be lost to fire in the Whitehall area in about a month as a fire on Roosevelt St. in the city of Whitehall burned on Feb. 10.