BEATRICE -- A couple whose rural Beatrice home was destroyed in an August 4th fire, has filed a tort claim against the City of Beatrice for damages of $2.56 million.

An attorney representing Joe and Manalle Armstrong said the city fire department arrived in a matter of minutes to the fire scene and waited for members of the Beatrice Rural Fire Department to arrive.

After rural personnel arrived, the claim states, city personnel left the scene. Beatrice Rural Fire emptied their water tank but was unable to stop the fire, which broke out in the garage of the home at 1250 Lakeview Lane.

The claim contends rural firefighters initially failed to make use of a nearby pond, unnecessarily delaying its use.

During the fire, which was outside the city limits, fire resources from Wymore, Blue Springs and Pickrell helped fight the blaze, including a Pickrell tanker truck that was refilled at least a half-dozen times. 

Firefighters also used water from the pond near the scene.