Family escapes house fire in Roberts, but 2 dogs perish

ROBERTS — A Roberts family escaped their burning home unharmed Wednesday afternoon as their two dogs perished in a blaze believed to have been caused by a kerosene heater used to thaw pipes in the home’s crawlspace. Ralph Denault, chief of the Roberts-Melvin Fire Protection District, said an estimated 40 firefighters from four area fire departments — Roberts-Melvin, Piper City, […]