By ANDREA VanVALKENBURG
ALTONA -- Wallace Wood was at his Devils Den Road home Thursday evening when he heard his neighbor's home was on fire.
"My son was coming from camp on his four-wheeler and he saw it and called 911," the Altona man said Friday afternoon.
"We could see it from the house."
Soon after the 7:45 p.m. call, crews from Altona, Mooers and Rescue Hose 5 descended on the home for a two-hour battle to extinguish the flames and investigate the blaze.
Despite their efforts, the home was destroyed by the fire, leaving behind only charred remnants of the rural residence.
The blaze left David and Barbara Hemingway and their three daughters left homeless. They lost all their personal belongings.
Red Cross officials said they were meeting with the displaced family Friday afternoon to see if they needed any assistance, but believed the family would be staying with relatives as they recover from the blaze.
The Altona fire spokesman did not return a call and no additional information about the blaze was available Friday.
If anyone would like to help, the family is in need of all household furnishings and clothing.
avanvalkenburg
@pressrepublican.com
