Home heavily damaged in fire

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A fire sparked by issues with a video game system Tuesday afternoon has left a Seymour woman and her two children without their home.

Melanie Hope and her 4-year-old, Tanner, and 5-year-old, Carter, aren’t homeless, however, because they have found a place to stay temporarily.

Hope said the fire, which heavily damaged her home at 902 S. Walnut St., has left her lost and confused.

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Seymour Fire Chief Brad Lucas said that’s something he often sees when people lose their homes and belongings to fire.

He said firefighters were able to contain the fire to the living room of the home, although there was smoke damage throughout the house and the loss of personal items.

He said investigators were told by family that there had been issues with an Xbox unit, which was near the television, and all indications were that the unit was the source of the fire.

“There was no foul play or anything else,” he said. “It was just accidental.”

The babysitter and Hope’s two sons had left the home about an hour before smoke was reported coming from the front of the house, Lucas said. That was at 10:17 a.m. Tuesday.

Hope, who is a soldier with the Indiana National Guard at Camp Atterbury, was at work when the fire was reported but rushed home.

Lucas said he spent time talking with her and trying to get her help from local organizations including The Salvation Army and the American Red Cross.

Hope said on Wednesday that she owns the home and has already started working with her insurance company.

Firefighters arriving at the home found smoke coming from the front and back doors of the one-story wood frame home, built in 1985 according to real estate records on file with the county auditor’s office.

Lucas said the fire caused an estimated $30,000 in damage.

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