It took Cadiz firefighters four-and-a-half hours to completely extinguish the flames of a storage building on Dean Street, owned by Sonny and Betty Lou Litchfield. The fire was apparently caused by lightning, several witnesses reported to the fire department.
Kelmer “Sonny” Litchfield, owner of Litchfield Apartments, said that the storage building belonged to him and his wife, Betty Lou, and that only their belongings were inside when the building caught fire. He said there were quite a few things inside, including carpet and two cars. One of the cars was an old Model T Ford, he said. He also guessed that a few cats might have died in the blaze.
Fowler said that firefighters were called to the scene shortly before 6:25 p.m. on July 5. He said that although no one actually saw a bolt of lightning, several witnesses in the area said they heard a loud crash when it hit the tin roof of the building.
“Several people in the area told us they heard something hit real hard,” Fowler said.
Fowler said firefighters fought the blaze for about four-and-a-half hours. It smoldered for some time and flames reappeared in hot spots for a few hours before the fire had been completely extinguished.
