A 23-year-old woman died in an early morning house fire in rural La Porte County on Independence Day.
According to a press release from the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched shortly after midnight Saturday, July 4th, to a residential structure fire in the 2700 block of West County Road 1650 South.
Deputy Austin Howell was the first law enforcement officer to arrive at the scene. Due to heavy smoke conditions, he was unable to safely enter the home.
After firefighters from multiple responding departments extinguished the blaze, 23-year-old Kathryn M. Zabel was found inside the residence. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office responded to investigate the fire. The cause remains under investigation.
Additional agencies assisting at the scene included Sgt. Scott Lanoue and Deputy Michael Sweet of the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Law Enforcement, La Porte County Emergency Medical Services, and the La Porte County Coroner’s Office.
