A home near Grunthal was torched by flames on Tuesday.
Hanover Fire Chief Paul Wiebe says his crews were called out at 5:20 pm to a structure fire 1.5 miles southeast of Grunthal. He notes firefighters arrived to find flames coming through the roof.
"The structure was fully involved," he says.
According to Wiebe, the homeowner was able to safely vacate the home, along with a dog. He notes there were no injuries.
"Quite a stubborn fire though," says Wiebe. "Our crews fought it for a couple of hours to extinguish it totally. We have returned a couple of times to check on it and to douse a couple of hot spots."
Wiebe says the home will be a total loss. He has provided a damage estimate of about $400,000.
He notes the cause remains under investigation. However, Wiebe says there is nothing suspicious and it has been deemed accidental.
Weather conditions were hot and windy on Tuesday, with temperatures in the mid-30s. Wiebe says when you have high winds and extreme heat like that, it can push a fire through a house very quickly. He adds those weather conditions are also challenging on firefighters.
"Keeping them hydrated and everything is crucial," he says. "We did rotate them in and out of the hot zone quite regularly."
Crews were on scene until about 10 pm.
Wiebe says the house is located on a well-kept yard, with things starting to green up. And because there was no tall grass nearby there was no fear of it turning into a wildland fire.