November 24, 2007

No injuries reported in blaze

       A fire severely damaged a home in the Wakefield subdivision of the Center Grove area Friday evening.  The fire destroyed the garage and had spread to the house at 246 Wakefield Drive East by the time White River Township Fire Department crews arrived, spokesman Jim Engmark said.  Firefighters spent about 35 minutes battling the blaze, which burned hot enough to melt a wall of siding on a neighboring house.  The blaze was brought under control by about 6 p.m.

          Though five people were home when the fire started, no one was injured, Engmark said.  Two grandparents were home with three children, while the homeowners, John and Gina Novotny, were out shopping. The grandfather was burned slightly when he went back inside the burning house to retrieve medication, Engmark said.  Paramedics examined the man, who didn't need to go to the hospital for further treatment.

          When they arrived on the scene, firefighters thought a child was trapped in the home and sent rescue teams into the house to search. After five minutes, the search was called off when all of the children were accounted for.  How the miscommunication occurred wasn't immediately apparent, Engmark said.  The fire destroyed a car in the garage and ignited propane tanks, which caused it to spread more quickly, Engmark said. Fire spread to the roof of the house, and firefighters had to chop through the roof to put it out.  The cause of the fire wasn't known Friday evening, Engmark said.  The extent of the damage also wasn't known Friday, but the house sustained severe fire and water damage and was uninhabitable, he said.  After the fire was put out, firefighters salvaged what personal items they could, retrieving one resident's cell phone.  Dozens of neighbors gathered outside in the cold while firefighters put out the last hot spots.  Using an aerial truck, firefighters investigated the roof of the neighbor's home to be certain the fire hadn't spread.  The Greenwood Fire Department sent two engines to help out.  The Novotnys have family in the area and should have a place to stay, Engmark said.  (Reprinted with permission from the Daily Journal)  (Video by WTHR News, Photos by WRTV News and Randy Roudebush)

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