OTTAWA — A fire stoked by heavy north winds heavily damaged one house in the 700 block of North Mulberry Street Monday night and caused light damage to a neighboring house. When firefighters arrived, a house at 752 N. Mulberry was heavily involved in flames and were fueled by the heavy wind, said Ottawa Fire Chief Jeff Carner. The wind also caused a fire on the exterior of a house to the south at 721 N. Mulberry, he said. The house at 752 N. Mulberry was heavily damaged and experienced an estimated $66,000 in damage, Carner said. The other house had approximately $1,000 in damage, he said. No one was at home when the fire broke out and there were no injuries, he said. Ottawa fire investigators and the state fire marshal’s office were on the scene this morning. The fire appears to have originated in a carport attached to the house. Ottawa police said the woman who lived in the house told them she believed someone set the fire deliberately. However, Carner declined comment on that report, saying investigators were still trying to determine the cause.
Tuesday, Dec. 16, 1 p.m.
