PEDRO -- A fire destroyed a Pedro house Friday afternoon.

The home of Verna P. Akers, located on 200 Private Road 10472, off State Route 93 in Pedro was completely destroyed, according to the Elizabeth Township Volunteer Fire Department.

Dale E. Waugh, chief of the department, said no one was injured or killed in the blaze.

Akers said she and her boyfriend were running errands when her house caught fire. She said the only appliance left on was her air conditioner. Her vacuum cleaner was plugged in, but it wasn’t on, she said.

Waugh said a newspaper carrier saw the fire and called 911 at 1:22 p.m.

&uot;It was fully engulfed when I arrived,&uot; Waugh said.

The first fire department on the scene was Elizabeth. The Upper and Decatur township volunteer fire departments also assisted. Twenty-five fire fighters and eight fire trucks were brought to Akers’ property,

Waugh said, and 12,000 gallons of water were used to fight the blaze. One truck’s tank had to be refilled, he added.

The firefighters finished putting out the blaze at 3:30 p.m. and none of them were injured.

Waugh said the cause of the fire appears to be electrical.

When Akers and her boyfriend had stopped at a restaurant to get a sandwich, she said the owner saw the fire trucks barreling down 93 and said, &uot;Must have been a bad wreck down there.&uot;

Akers said she didn’t know the fire trucks were on their way to the house where she was born.

&uot;This is the only home I have ever known. I also raised six kids here,&uot; she said.

The only other person who lived with Akers was one of her sons. He was not at home at the time of the fire.

Waugh commended members of his and the other fire departments.

&uot;I’d have to rate them excellent. The rural volunteer fire departments do an excellent job,&uot; he said.

Akers added, &uot;This is the first time I’ve ever had a home burn. I always felt sorry for the others, but you never know until it happens to you.&uot; Amelia A. Pridemore/The Ironton Tribune