Michael Kennedy hands Scout to Larry Ranken Thursday morning out of the remains of a home in rural Ashton – Photo provided by Dana Williams
ASHTON – A dog apparently survived the blaze that destroyed a rural Ashton home on Wednesday, spending over 18 hours in the basement. The two story home along Illinois Route 38 west of Rochelle was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived. Thursday morning, relatives of the homeowner were combing through the debris when one of the dogs, Scout, was located in relatively good health. Another dog, Dottie, and a cat named Elenor are still missing. Another cat perished in the blaze.
The granddaughter of the resident who was home at the time of the blaze said the family is so moved by the outpouring of kindness from the community. The Rochelle VFW Post 3878 will be collecting donations and gift cards for the next two weeks for the family. A Go-Fund-Me was also established. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and no other injuries were reported.
