EDINBURGH, Ind. – The Bartholomew County Emergency Operations Center received a 9-1-1 call on Sunday evening about a residential fire in the 14900 block of North US 31, between Edinburgh and Taylorsville. The homeowners and their 8-month-old infant were not at home.
The German Township Volunteer Fire Department (GTVFD) was dispatched just before 8 p.m., along with Clifford and Edinburgh Fire Departments, and they found heavy smoke showing from the attic.
Crews had to pull down the ceiling in several rooms. Firefighters encountered flames and very high heat in the attic space. GTVFD also performed an initial search of the residence for anyone that may have been inside.
Southbound US31 was closed and a second alarm was sounded that brought fire departments from Flat Rock, Columbus, and Harrison Townships.
The blaze burned a two-foot wide hole in the roof. Crews removed the insulation from inside the house and detached several sections of the siding from the exterior to ensure no hot spots remained.
The fire was contained to the attic space. There was heavy lightning in the area at the time of the incident. The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the county fire investigator. Damages to the home are estimated to be $50,000.