Dairy farmer's home destroyed, dog lost in fire

A dairy farmer was left scrambling to find a place to sleep and a means to care for his numerous farm animals after he returned home to find his house destroyed by a fast-moving fire Sunday night.

“I own one set of clothes,” said Kurtis Ketchum, the homeowner, on Monday. “That’s what I own.”

One dog was possibly killed in the blaze, which reduced the house to a few charred support beams. Investigators believe an electrical issue in the garage might have caused the fire, though the blaze remains under investigation, according to Fire Chief Carl Tatum of the Hanover Fire Protection District.

Ketchum, who moved into the house in 2003, said he was in Fountain visiting a friend when the fire sparked. As such, a neighbor returning from a softball game ended up being the first person to notice flames shooting out of the garage.

“It wasn't long before everything was up in flames,” said Eric Norman, 21, who called 911. “It moved quick.”

One dog living at the house, a border collie, fled to a neighbor’s house. His 10-year-old son’s Chihuahua, though, has been missing since the blaze.

No other animals or people were injured in the blaze.

The two-story house, at 8790 Birdsall Road, sits about 1 mile east of Interstate 25 in a community of widely spaced ranchettes, about 3 miles south of Fountain. It also had a walk-out basement.

Ketchum said the house was the centerpiece of a small farm, complete with several chicken coops and two dairy cows to make cheese. He was expecting to receive six more cows this week, though that might change.

Ketchum said neighbors have been helping to feed his animals and provide shelter. He has tentatively arranged for a friend to leave a travel trailer at farm so he can still stay there to tend to his animals.

“There’s nothing I can do now except ride it out, so that’s what I’m going to do,” Ketchum said.

The Hanover Fire Protection District sent about 15 firefighters in two engines, a brush truck and three water-laden tenders to fight the fire. The Fountain Fire Department sent an engine and six firefighters.