A Tuesday afternoon fire resulted in heavy damage to about 70 percent of a single-story rural home southwest of Taylorsville.
“It probably will be a total loss,” said German Township Fire Chief Robert Drake said of the home owned by Rick and Geneva Davis.
The blaze, located in German Township at 7375 North County Road 250W, was initially reported at 1:26 p.m., according to emergency dispatchers.
Rick Davis and his son, who were the only ones home at the time, first heard a noise coming from a rear bedroom in the northeast corner of the house, Drake said.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]
Upon investigating the noise, the father and son saw both smoke and fire coming from the room, Drake said.
Both occupants of the rural property were able to make it outside without injuries before calling 911, the fire chief said.
Although there was initial concern about the whereabouts of a family dog, the pet was found outside the one-story brick home when emergency units arrived, Drake said.
While the cause of the fire is still being investigated, Drake said it appears the origin was an attic area above the bedroom. Based on similar fires, that increases the chances that the cause is electrical in nature, the fire chief said.
“We’re looking at about $150,000 damage to both structure and content,” Drake said.
Built in 2007, the four-bedroom, 2,201 square-foot residence — located just west of Interstate 65 and north of County Road 500 North on 7.63 acres — was given an assessed valuation earlier this month of $218,000, according to Bartholomew County property records.
Drake’s department was assisted by both Columbus Township and Columbus city firefighters, as well as volunteers from Clifford and Harrison Township.
Both Columbus Regional Ambulance and the Emergency Disaster Services division of the Salvation Army also were at the scene.
