Fred Sumpter from the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office ruled the fire at 2915 S. and 800 E. in Washington Township Friday morning as accidental. A wood burner was the cause of the fire.
Washington Township Assistant Fire Chief, Dave Pearman, said that if you use a wood burning stove, keep it clean and make sure that it is cleaned before the heating season.
Pearman has another piece of fire safety advice.
“Check fire alarm equipment,” he said. “In this case, they said they did have a smoke detector in the home; however, it was not functioning. It probably needed a battery or needed to be checked.”
