Onaway family unhurt in blaze that destroys their home

Fire swept through a South Lynn Street home early Sunday, leaving an Onaway family of five homeless. According to officials with the Onaway Fire Department, the fire moved from the chimney into the walls and the third floor (attic) of the wooden structure.

Presque Isle County County central dispatch received a 911 call of the blaze at 2:06 a.m. and fire fighters were on the scene in seven minutes. “By the time I got there it (flames) was already coming out,” said fire chief Eric Rose. “I still could see on the bottom floor that the lights were on.” There was an initial concern about the occupants, Patrick and Cheri Kondratko and their three children, but they were already out.

CHERI SAID PATRICK was in bed when “he heard it. He said ‘we’ve got to get out of here.’ We had enough time to get the kids out.” The fire quickly got out of control. “Normally if there had been more time, we would have tried to keep it right where it was in the upstairs attic,” said Rose. “It just didn’t work that way. By the time I got enough people there to get after it, it got so wild we couldn’t do anything with it.”

The elements were brutal with temperature readings of eight degrees below zero, but colder conditions with a 25-mile-an-hour wind. There were problems as the morning continued as equipment froze in the cold conditions. Rose asked for mutual aid from both the Case and Forest-Waverly fire departments. The Onaway Fire Department poured 50,000 to 60,000 gallons of water on the fire but could do little to save the structure, so crews switched gears and saved an adjoining garage. The Kondratkos mentioned to emergency workers that Christmas presents were hidden in the rafters of the garage.

CHERI BELIEVES the

firefighters took it to heart and worked diligently to save the garage and its contents. The Kondratkos purchased the house, which Cheri called her “dream home,” from Ray and Ruth Szymoniak four years ago. “I had just got done painting the kitchen and it was just gorgeous,” said Cheri. “It went so fast, but I feel so blessed. “The support from the community has just been incredible. People are bringing us stuff like socks, razors and toothbrushes. You name it, and people are bringing it.” The Kondratkos are staying with Patrick’s brother, Mark, of Huron Beach.

The family lost everything that was in the house and a dropoff location for items to be donated has been established at St. Paul Hall. The number for more information is 733-6053. Assisting at the fire scene, which was finally cleared at 1:30 p.m., were the PI Road Commission and the Onaway DPW.