Fire on S. Posey Street

By: 
Staff Writer Kate Wehlann

If you smelled something smokey in downtown Salem this afternoon, you weren't imagining things. A housefire on South Posey Street in Salem sent smoke blowing through parts of the west side of town. Captain Ron Wilcox with the Salem Fire Department said firefighters were dispatched at 1:45 p.m. and had the fire under control at 2:09 p.m.

The home, 511 S. Posey St., was owned by Thomas Payne. Wilcox said neither Payne nor anyone else was home when the fire started.

Wilcox said the fire was isolated to the western part of the home, staying in the bedroom area and the attic. Firefighters were able to stop the fire from entering the living room area, but there was still so much fire, heat and water damage that he said the home was a total loss.

As of now, there is no known cause of the fire. Wilcox said the insurance company will likely do an investigation, but the fire department didn't have a definitive answer as to what started the fire.

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