RIPLEY, Ohio — A Brown County family was displaced after a fire destroyed their home Tuesday afternoon.
Officials said four fire departments, including Ripley Volunteer Fire, responded to the home on Schwallie Road around 11 a.m.
No one was home when the fire started, officials confirmed.
"The fire started in the back. The fire was a working fire when we got here. We had all the mutual aid departments help us with the tankers and stuff. The operation went really well. It was just we really had a good start," said Ripley Fire Chief Tony Pfeffer.
The homeowner, a mother of three, has been connected with the Red Cross for assistance.
Pfeffer said that for a small volunteer crew of just about 20 members, extra support was crucial for this type of fire.
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"We're in a rural area with no fire hydrants, so our water supply comes from tankers and dump tanks. So we rely on mutual aid just for water and manpower. For a fire like this, it was a tough fire," Pfeffer said.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
