Sellersburg home destroyed in early morning fire

Evening News and The Tribune, The (Jeffersonville, IN)

Oct. 21--SELLERSBURG -- Investigators are working to determine what caused a massive fire that demolished a Sellersburg home early Wednesday. There were no injuries.

Tri-Township Fire Protection District Chief Amir Mousavi confirmed that a 911 call came in at 1:25 a.m. on a report of a structure fire and possible explosion at a house in the 300 block of North New Albany Street. When crews arrived at 1:32 a.m., they encountered "heavy fire, heavy smoke," he said. "One house was fully involved and the two houses on each side were already damaged."

Tri-Township, with assistance from the Monroe Township, Clarksville and New Chapel Fire departments worked to contain the blaze but the fire had burned swiftly, he said. When investigators from the Tri-Township department and Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office arrived Wednesday afternoon to assess the situation, only the charred skeleton of the house remained.

On either side, the neighboring homes were damaged -- one had visibly melted siding and on the other, siding was missing where fire crews had to remove it to contain the blaze.

Linda Reed and her husband own the badly burned house. Reed said it was a blessing no one was home, although it hurt to know the home she grew up in was gone.

"Right now I just remember the memories," she said. "I don't see it like it is now. It's still there in my mind. It was the only house I ever lived in until I got married."

Reed's parents bought the house in the 1940s and raised their family there. After her mother passed away several years ago, other family members lived at the home from time to time. Most recently, Reed's nephew had been staying there but was not home at the time of the fire. He had begun moving and had most of his belongings out.

But the house wasn't empty -- some of the larger family furniture had remained.

"My mom's stuff that we hadn't moved was in there -- her dining room and bedroom suite, and a bookcase my daddy made," Reed said.

Phil Beaver and his wife live next door. Beaver said they had awakened to a loud boom. When they looked outside, they saw flames shooting out of the house.

"I hate it that it happened," he said, adding that he was glad no one was hurt.

Beaver said he and his family were told they could stay at their house, but as of early Wednesday afternoon they were waiting for gas and electric to be restored.

Chief Mousavi said when crews arrived, the fire had been so hot that the outdoor electrical wires had melted. Because of the melted wires and because neighbors reported hearing a boom or explosion, they requested the gas be temporarily shut off.

Mousavi said that what happened cannot yet be called an explosion because there still is work to be done to find out both the cause and origin of the fire.

He said he would have to talk with the city building inspector and insurance companies to know when the utilities could be turned on.

Insurance companies are expected to conduct investigations parallel with the state and local ones; everything will later be compiled into a comprehensive report. Vectren, the gas utility, was also on scene investigating.

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