Tenant at Bible camp during fire

However, to the relief of friends, she was attending Bible camp.

House co-owner, Judy Westhaver said, “I’m glad she was at camp and she’s safe and sound. That’s the main thing.” Her spouse, Maurice Westhaver is the other co-owner.

The house and adjacent wood shed, located in a semi-remote location on what is better known in Liverpool as the “Town” Lake Road, was fully engulfed when Liverpool Fire Department volunteers arrived at about 4:45 a.m.

Westhaver said Aug. 5 the tenant, Jessica Joudrey is “pretty upset right now” after also losing her pets, which include two cats, a bird and a hamster.

“Her pets were close to her. She also lost pictures of Skip (Douglas) Hurshman, who was like a dad or uncle to her.” Hurshman, who used to live at the house, died last month.

Westhaver added her tenant and friend lost her furnishings and clothes as well but has a place to stay. She plans to help, adding she doesn’t know at this point if Joudrey requires community assistance.

The house was insured but the contents were not.

A person delivering newspapers on Birch Avenue called in the fire after seeing the glow in the sky.

Liverpool Fire Department Chief Steve Parnell said they were worried when they saw the destruction. “When we first came here we thought someone might still be in there. It was almost burnt to the ground.”

Firefighters were relieved when Joudrey was located.

Deputy Chief David Payzant said the fire was contained to the buildings, meaning they weren’t overly concerned with the nearby woods. “Our main focus was making sure no one was in the home and, thankfully, there wasn’t.”

The official fire marshal’s decision is the cause is undetermined. Chief Parnell explained no point of origin could be found because not much was left standing. Strangely, the doorstep, complete with civic sign, was left intact.

The building, about five decades old, was originally a garage that was renovated into a house by Eugene and Marion Dolliver.