Rushville Republican

News

November 3, 2009

Fire destroys rural home Monday

Two-story structure a total loss

A 911 call from a homeowner reported a chimney fire at his residence in the 9600 block of South River Road south of Moscow shortly before noon Monday.

The caller, Randy Kelly, along with his wife, were advised by Rush County Sheriff’s Department dispatcher Celia Nigh to vacate their home and await firefighters arrival.

The first responders from Anderson Township Volunteer Fire Department to arrive at 9604 South River Road found the home fully engulfed in flames and smoke and immediately requested that additional departments and manpower be dispatched to the scene.

“The home is fully engulfed at this time, we need additional manpower,” Steve McCorkle radioed after arriving on the scene.

Volunteers from Waldron and Saint Paul responded to the mutual aid call.

Fanned by a southwest wind, smoke was visible from as far away as Homer as additional firefighters began arriving.

“My wife and I were home when the fire broke out. We didn’t have heat in the house last night so we started a fire in the fire place. A furnace repairman just left a short while ago. I guess that it started in the chimney,” Kelly said as he and his wife stood outside and watched efforts to contain and extinguish the blaze.

“It is hard to watch a lifetime of memories burn away in a matter of minutes,” Kelly said.

Hampered by the lack of a nearby water supply, firefighters’ efforts were no match for the burning two-story brick-faced structure; efforts quickly turned from not only extinguishing the blaze but also keeping it from spreading to a nearby wooded area and recently combined cornfield that surrounded the home.

Although a swimming pool near the burning residence was full of water, the pool was right in the path of the wind-driven fire and was of no use to firefighters.

“I will not lose a truck just to get to that water,” ATVFD Fire Chief Nick White said when asked why the water seemingly at hand was not being used as fire department tanker after fire department tanker was sent to Milroy to reload with water.

Kelly and his wife were uninjured in the fire and no injuries were reported.

The home was completely destroyed.

Although under investigation, no official cause was given Monday as to a cause for the blaze.

Assisting at the scene were ATVFD, WVFD, SPVFD, the Rush County Sheriff’s Department, RushShelby Energy and RMH Ambulance.



Frank Denzler can be contacted at (765) 932-2222 ext. 106 or via e-mail at frank.denzler@rushvillerepublican.com. To add a comment to this story visit our Web site at www.rushvillerepublican.com.

Text Only
News
  • RCCF Education Fund Grants awarded

    The Rush County Education Fund Grants Committee recently met to review grant applications for the 2012 grant cycle and to make their recommendations to the Rush County Community Foundation's Board of Directors.

    May 25, 2012

  • comms 1 Commissioners hear of feasibility study

    The Rush County Commissioners met earlier this week and heard a report regarding a feasibility study currently underway regarding the city possibly running an ambulance service out of the Rushville Fire Department.

    May 25, 2012 2 Photos

  • Pool open

    Waggener Community Pool will be open from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday. The pool will be closed Monday and Tuesday and then open again Wednesday as was originally scheduled. Information: 932-7100.

    May 25, 2012

  • Farmers Market

    The Rush County Farmers and Artisans Market kicks off the 2012 season at 9 a.m. Saturday in the 100 block of East Third Street in downtown Rushville!

    May 25, 2012

  • amos Good Samaritan recognized for heroic efforts

    The lives of three complete strangers became intertwined the morning of Oct. 25, 2011.

    May 24, 2012 1 Photo

  • Concrete lions, a symbol of community pride. Lion Project showing community pride

    If you've been paying attention, you'll have noticed that new concrete lions are showing up all over town.

    May 24, 2012 1 Photo

  • Waggener Pool opening Saturday and Sunday

    In an update to this story, the City announced plans today to open Waggener Community Pool earlier than originally planned due to expected high temperatures over Memorial Weekend. Mayor Mike Pavey has asked that the pool be open this coming Saturday and Sunday. Hours will be noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday. The pool will be closed on Monday for Memorial Day and Tuesday, and open again Wednesday, May 30, as was originally scheduled.

    May 23, 2012

  • tanning-bed.jpg Why do young white women risk cancer to be tan?

    A CDC report out this month found that nearly one in three white women aged 18 to 25 had used a tanning booth in the previous year. White women aged 18 to 21 went the most often, averaging 27.6 sessions per year—that’s over two sessions per month—while nearly 70 percent said they had gone at least 10 times in the last year.

    May 23, 2012 1 Photo

  • crash Collision lands driver in Indy trauma center

    A Milroy woman sustained serious injuries in a single vehicle accident on SR  244 west of Milroy that was reported shortly after 1 p.m. Monday.

    May 22, 2012 1 Photo

  • Todd retires Todd resigns

    Bill Todd (center) is pictured during a recent meeting of the Rush County Commissioners at which he formally announced that he had turned in his resignation as the Rush County Area Plan Director. Todd has served in the capacity of APC director since 1998.

    May 22, 2012 1 Photo

Featured Ads
AP Video
Jimmy Carter Endorses Egypt's Election Results Biden Addresses West Point Graduating Class Dozens of Children Killed in New Syria Attack Raw Video: Activists Allege Massacre in Syria NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium 50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach CEO Salaries Become Sore Issue in Labor Disputes Raw Video: Fight Erupts in Ukrainian Parliament Texan Ranchers Remain Wary of Drought Raw Video: Soldiers Plant Flags at Arlington Police: Man Arrested in Etan Patz Disappearance NYC Protests: the Revolution Will Be Scripted Chicago U.S. Attorney Fitzgerald Resigns
Hyperlocal Search
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Popular Searches
Powered by Local.com
Parade
Magazine

Click HERE to read all your Parade favorites including Hollywood Wire, Celebrity interviews and photo galleries, Food recipes and cooking tips, Games and lots more.