For Rookie Barnett, Thursday started as a typical day.
    But when the afternoon rolled around, trouble came with it.
    Chillicothe fire officials believe gusting winds caused power lines to spark this house fire at the corner of 4th and Avenue J.
    And those flames caused Barnett and some friends to take action.

Rookie Barnett
Chillicothe resident
"We grabbed a shovel and a hoe and started trying to put out the front yard.  And just about the time we got to the front yard, the first fire department showed up and knocked it down real quick."

    But winds caused it to rekindle.

Mechell Dixon
mechell@kfdx.com
"While flames consumed this house at the corner of 4th and Avenue J... strong, gusting winds blew those embers a block away to this house where a grass fire sparked that ultimately destroyed a vacant house."
       
    This is all that's left of the vacant house at the corner of 4th and Avenue K.
    Heavy smoke and the potential of embers sparking another fire forced officials at a nearby elementary school to evacuate students.
    Several hours later, fire continued to reduce this home to ashes and damaged the home sitting just a few feet away.
   
Rookie Barnett
Chillicothe resident
"Just some siding that's been wrinkled cause of the intense heat from next door."

    Luckily, the intense heat did not cause any injuries.
    But it will forever be burned into the memories of people in this small town.
    In Chillicothe... Mechell Dixon... KFDX 3 News.

    A third house caught fire on the south side of Chillicothe.
    Although officials were able to put it out quickly, they have not yet calculated the amount of damage it caused.