Officials Determine Cause of House Fire

Posted on Author WKVI
Thank you to WKVI listener Marcia Lockner for the photo of Sunday's fire on 175 N. at U.S. 35
Thank you to WKVI listener Marcia Lockner for the photo of Sunday’s fire on 175 N. at U.S. 35

The cause of the house fire on 175 North just east of U.S. 35 in Starke County on Sunday was determined as arson.

Knox-Center Township Fire Chief Kenny Pfost said there were many areas of origin. The home was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived at the scene. Firefighters were battling a woods fire at the time the house fire was called into the Sheriff’s Department. Hamlet and Washington Township firefighters assisted at the scene along with water and manpower support from the Koontz Lake Fire Department.

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Fire Officials to Meet to Discuss Efforts to Streamline Dispatch Calls

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

Some changes have been made in the way fire departments are being dispatched in Starke County with the way medical calls are being handled and a meeting is scheduled for tonight to explain some of those changes.

Dave Pearman from the Washington Township Fire Department said the process is being streamlined.

“There were Post-it notes that were covering the monitors in our 911 dispatch office and we looked within the fire service and within emergency services altogether and asked ourselves what could we change about that?” stated Pearman.

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Single-Vehicle Fatality Claims Plymouth Woman’s Life

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

A single-vehicle crash Monday evening near Grovertown claimed a Plymouth woman’s life. Cathryn Ellison, 24, of Plymouth, was westbound on 300 North just west of 1100 East, lost control of her vehicle and was ejected, according to information provided this morning by the Starke County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies responded to a report of a vehicle in a ditch. Ellison was trapped underneath it. Starke County Chief Deputy Coroner Doug O’Donnell pronounced her dead at the scene. Her official cause of death is listed as traumatic asphyxiation. Coroner Kris Rannells tells WKVI news that means the weight of the vehicle on top of her would not allow her to breathe. The Hamlet Police Department, Koontz Lake, Hamlet and Washington Township Fire Departments and the Indiana State Police assisted the Starke County Sheriff’s Office at the scene. The Indiana State Police will be reconstructing the crash.

 

Fire Destroys C&C Salvage

Posted on Author WKVI
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An investigator from the state fire marshal’s office will be called in to determine the origin and cause of a fire that destroyed a Starke County business. The Bass Lake Fire Department was initially called to C &C Salvage on U.S. 35 south of Toto Road at 5:17 p.m. Thursday night, according to dispatchers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Office. A black mushroom cloud of smoke could be seen for miles. Firefighters from the Knox, North Judson, Hamlet, Washington Township, Koontz Lake, San Pierre and Monterey were all called in to assist. Bass Lake Fire Chief Les Jensen says one firefighter suffered minor injuries. Continue reading →

State Certified Classes Taught at Washington Township Fire Department

Posted on Author WKVI
Skill - Technical Decon
 

Two state certified classes were recently taught by Dave Pearman at the Washington Township Fire Department over the course of five weeks.

Pearman taught an Instructor 1 class that will bring additional instructors into the fire service which will allow them to enhance training at their departments. Those who successfully complete the rather extensive Instructor 1 training can then train students in mandatory, firefighter 1 and firefighter II classes. These training sessions are the foundation of all firefighter classes.

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Indiana State Fire Marshal to Investigate House Fire

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
A representative from the state fire marshal’s office will investigate the cause of a fire that started in the basement in a Starke County home Tuesday afternoon.

Firefighters from Washington Township, Knox-Center Township and Hamlet fire departments were called to 9515 E. 100 N. at about 1:36 p.m. after the residents reported a fire. Firefighters were quick in using strategic fire suppression which left minimal structural damage.

Investigators with the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office will be at the residence at 8 a.m. today to determine what caused the fire.

Grovertown Fire Cause Remains Under Investigation

Posted on Author WKVI
The cause of this house fire on 200 N. east of 900 E. in Grovertown remains under investigation.
The cause of this house fire on 200 N. east of 900 E. in Grovertown remains under investigation.

An investigator from the state fire marshal’s office will be in Starke County today to investigate the origin of a house fire in Grovertown. The Washington Township Fire Department received the call around 2:30 yesterday afternoon, according to Assistant Chief Dave Pearman. The house at 200 North and 900 West was fully engulfed when they arrived. Firefighters from Hamlet, Koontz Lake and Knox also assisted, and with their help the blaze was contained in about 30 minutes. Pearman says the owners were home when the fire started. No injuries were reported.

Several Fires Reported over the Weekend

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
Firefighters were busy responding to various calls this weekend.

Spring fever has hit and everyone has been out cleaning yards and burning unwanted brush and leaves. Firefighters ask that you not burn anything outside on days where the gusty winds are forecast. It’s safer to put off until a calm wind is predicted in order to burn things outside.

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Local Fire Departments Undergo Live Fire Training in Lakeville

Posted on Author WKVI
Pictures provided.

Members from the Hamlet, Washington Township, Knox-Center Township and North Judson-Wayne Township fire departments recently participated in a live fire training in Lakeville.

On Dec. 28, the Mobile Live Fire Training Trailer Unit traveled to Lakeville so the firefighters could train in the mobile flashover training simulator free of charge. Two weeks prior to this training, instructors in Starke County were given instruction in the “train the trainer” program and all went well.

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Lightning Strikes Washington Twp. Home – Blasts Thermostat Across Room

Posted on Author WKVI
David Pearman

“It’s amazing what lightning can do when it really strikes a home.”

These are the words of Assistant Fire Chief Dave Pearman, who arrived at a home in Washington Township in response to a reported lightning strike to find that the house had suffered a direct lightning strike at roughly 8 p.m. on Saturday.

According to Pearman, the power of the lightning strike caused nearly every electrical device in the home to overload, shorting them out. He said it also blew apart the phone boxes, caused a fire to develop behind the electrical box, and blasted the thermostat off the wall, launching it nearly eight feet across the room.

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Dry Spring Conditions Lead to Fire Incidents

Posted on Author WKVI

With the exception of some rain yesterday, it has been a dry spring and Dave Pearman, Assistant Fire Chief with the Washington Township Fire Department, says the firefighters have been called to several fires this season due to the dry conditions.

“We’ve seen a lot more property damage and really what it boils down to is that people are going out and they might be having a small fire and they leave it unattended,” explained Pearman. “They tend to not have any tools such as a rake, shovel and a hose available and really what we’ve seen with 90 percent of those fires is had they attended the fire, had they had tools and water present that they probably could have controlled those fires.”

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Local Firefighters Earn Multiple Certifications

Posted on Author WKVI
Firefighters participate in training at the Washington Township Fire Department

Area firefighters recently completed a new recruit course.

Captain Joe Short from the Washington Township Fire Department said the course started in November and finished April 22. Firefighters met three days a week for a combination of lectures and hands-on activities. Those who completed the training received certifications in National Incident Management System (NIMS) 100, NIMS 200, NIMS 700, Autism, HAZMAT Awareness, HAZMAT Operations, Mandatory Firefighter, Firefighter I and Firefighter II. The courses were taught by Washington Township, Hamlet and Bremen Fire Officials and Starke County EMS Director Paul Mathewson.

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Fire Safety Advice Stressed after Fire Consumes House in Washington Township

Posted on Author WKVI
Fire crews remain on the scene of a fire at 2915 S. 800 E. in Washington Township

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.

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Fire Destroys Home in Washington Township

Posted on Author WKVI
This home, at 2915 S. 800 E. in Washington Township, was a total loss

A fire ripped through a home at 2915 S. and 800 E. in Starke County on Friday, December 23rd.

“The occupants awoke to an extra warm home, but there were no smoke alarms going off,” said Washington Township Assistant Fire Chief, Dave Pearman. “The man entered the living room and saw flames showing in the house and immediately tried to get their dogs out and that took a little bit of time. By the time they had most of the dogs, all but one, out of the house, the house was fully engulfed. Unfortunately, their smoke detector wasn’t working.”

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Emergency Personnel to Participate in Training Sunday Morning

Posted on Author WKVI

Fire Department and ambulance personnel and police officers from many departments in Starke County will be participating in Emergency Vehicle Operator Course training Sunday morning (September 25th) at the Washington Township Fire Department.

Tom Champion, from Terre Haute, is the state instructor for the class which takes firefighters, EMS personnel and police officers through a driving training course. This will give all emergency personnel certification for the rest of the year. The training will not cost the county any money; it is supplied by an insurance company.

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Knox-Center Township Fire Department Battles House Fire

Posted on Author WKVI

The Knox-Center Township Fire Department fought a fire at Judy Sinn’s residence at 5655 E. 250 N. in Knox yesterday morning.

Fire Chief Ken Pfost told WKVI that a representative from the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office determined it was accidental. The fire started in a recessed light fixture in the kitchen. Over $75,000 in damage was done and no injuries were reported at the scene.

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Washington Township Fire Department Proposes New Training Facility

Posted on Author WKVI
Gary Dulin, Jerry Fletcher, Harold Welter, Mary Lynn Ritchie, Kirk Bennett, Nathan Marcum, Mike Yankauskas, Superintendent A.J. Gappa

Washington Township Trustee, Shelly Kemble, and Washington Township firefighters Joe Short and David Pearman made a presentation to the Knox Community School Board about building a training tower at the old Washington Township School. Superintendent, A.J. Gappa explains why they had to seek the permission of the Board to pursue this project:

“Because the land that the old Washington Township school sits on was at one time donated to the school and given back to the Township and because of the structure of the Indiana laws, before anybody can do anything with that property, they have to get School Board approval. It’s supposed to be in the form of Parks and Recreation.”

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