A 911 cell phone caller reported a fully engulfed house fire in the 7500 block of East SR 244 east of Richland shortly before 12:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Initial responders found a vacant two-story home fully engulfed in flames and smoke and requested mutual aid from surrounding volunteer departments.
Although the fire was in Rush County, the 911 call was first received by Franklin County and Laurel fire units were dispatched to the scene. A short time later they were joined by units from Anderson Township, Clarksburg, Glenwood and the ladder truck from the Rushville Fire Department.
With no available water source, tanker trucks refilled at the Co-op east of New Salem on U.S. 52 nearly five miles away.
The vacant farm house is owned by Kay and Jim Miller and was used as a storage facility.
“This is the second fire we have had here in a year, fortunately no one was hurt,” Kay Miler said as she awaited her husband’s arrival.
Firefighters were familiar with the location, having fought a structure fire on the property during the fall of 2008 when a barn on the site caught fire.
No cause was given for Wednesday’s fire, although it was learned that although vacant, the home did have electric power still hooked up.
There were no injuries reported as a result of the blaze.
Firefighters remained on the scene for nearly two hours looking for hot spots.
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.
News
Wednesday fire destroys vacant rural home
- News
-
-
Merger off between Chamber, ECDC
Rush County Economic and Community Development Corporation Executive Director Jim Finan has announced that the Rush County Chamber of Commerce and ECDC will not be merging.
-
RCS adds to Rainy Day Fund
The Rush County Schools Board of Trustees met Wednesday night and, among other things, voted to move $550,000 into the corporation's Rainy Day Fund, which is basically the local school system's savings account.
-
Air Evac leaving Rushville base
Nearly four years to the day that Air Evac Lifeteam began operation from a Rushville base, the medical air transport operation will leave our community.
-
Teams sought for 2012 Relay for Life
Nearly a month after the annual kick off and three weeks before the first scheduled team captain meeting (March 1), local organizers are still hoping to expand the number of participants in this year's local Relay for Life.
-
Boys and girls basketball sign-ups underway
Sign-ups for the Boys & Girls Club of Rush County boys and girls ages five through second grade basketball will run through Feb. 29. These leagues will run the five Saturdays in March.
-
Youth in Philanthropy fund grant application deadline
Garry Cooley, executive eirector of the Rush County Community Foundation, has announced that the grant application deadline for the Youth in Philanthropy Fund is 4 p.m. March 1.
-
Lady Lions eliminate Lady Knights
The goal in the tournament is to advance and that is what the Lady Lions did Tuesday at Batesville with a 53-50 victory over South Dearborn.
-
The wonders of wood
Outside the wood shop door on Wednesday afternoons, kids at the Boys & Girls Club of Rush County line up for their turn inside the room where planks of wood become boxes, benches and shelves between 4 and 6 p.m.
-
Statehouse action resumes after Super Bowl break
After a time-out to accommodate out-of-town Super Bowl visitors, the Indiana General Assembly is back in session to tackle legislation that had been bottlenecked by a contentious labor bill.
-
Rice is Herman Freed Award recipient
Rush County Sheriff's Department deputy Alan Rice recently graduated from the Indiana law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in Plainfield.
- More News Headlines
-
Merger off between Chamber, ECDC






