Burt Street fire

The Christmas season wasn’t all that merry for a family forced out of their Burt Street residence by a fire that occurred about 2 p.m. Saturday. The Van Wert Fire Department battled the blaze, which damaged the home extensively, forcing a family of two adults and three children to find another place to live. No one was injured, either family members or emergency responders. Also assisting at the scene was the Van Wert Police Department, the Van Wert County Chapter of the American Red Cross, and American Electric Power. (Red Cross photo)