Fire heavily damages Hammond home

HAMMOND — A fire Wednesday afternoon forced an Amish family to evacuate their home in the town.

The home at 211 County Route 1, owned by John Swartzentruber, was extensively damaged by the fire.

The fire started in a cooking area which was formerly a garage. The family was rendering lard at the time the fire started, St. Lawrence County investigators said.

A neighbor called emergency dispatchers about the fire, which was visible for several miles away.

No injuries were reported. There were no smoke detectors in the home.

See the complete story in Thursday's Times.