EDINBURGH — Investigators think an electrical problem is the likely cause of a fire that destroyed the home of a family of five in the Pleasant View Village subdivision.
The flames erupted southwest of Edinburgh just before 7:30 a.m. Friday in the garage of Josh Gurkins and Emma Geilker, located in the 4700 block of West Compton Drive.
While Gurkins was at his job at the Indianapolis International Airport at the time, he said Geilker was in the living room with their three children: Amelia, 4; Bransen, 2; and Alice, two months.
It was young Amelia who first noticed flames in the garage, and alerted her mother, Gurkins said.
After seeing the fire, Geilker immediately got her children out of the house to ensure their safety, the father said.
Geilker attempted to go back inside to rescue the family pets — a 2-year-old German Shepherd named Amber and a one-year-old pit bull named Lexi — but the flames were too intense, Gurkins said.
Two other people, including a German Township firefighter, also attempted unsuccessful efforts to rescue the canines, he said.
When first-responders arrived, the garage was fully engulfed in flames. The fire began burning through the attic and continued into the kitchen and living room.
Due to the cold weather, an electric space heater was being used to warm the garage where the fire started. However, German Township Fire Chief Matt Lynch said fire inspector Gene Wever had not linked the heater to the fire, and the cause remains undetermined.
Although firefighters were able to bring the flames under control within 20 minutes, insurance adjusters said Monday that the house was totaled, and that no restoration will be possible, Gurkins said.
Damage to the house is estimated at $120,000 while content loss is listed at about $30,000, Lynch said.
Luckily, the couple has insurance coverage that is already providing their family with nearby lodging. The family has been assured they will be provided larger accommodations by this weekend, he said.
In addition, the couple has also been offered services from the American Red Cross of South Central Indiana.
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A GoFundMe account has been established for the couple and their three children who lost their home in the Pleasant View Village subdivision to fire last Friday
Josh Gurkins, Emma Geilker and their three children: Amelia,4; Bransen, 2; and Alice, two months, are currently being lodged in a local motel room.
Established by Zachary Wetherald, Geilker’s brother-in-law, the web address for the account is: www.gofundme.com/f/4k2pg2-helping-a-family-in-need.
At this time, plenty of children’s clothes has been donated to the family, Gurkins said. However, the family is still trying to come up with an inventory list of items destroyed in the fire.
Since the family is not fully aware of what they might need in the upcoming days, Wetherald says financial contributions will be the most helpful.
As of Monday afternoon, 53 donors had contributed $2,860 toward a goal of $5,000, the webpage stated.
However, with total damages now estimated at $150,000, the family will likely need substantially more financial assistance, according to Melissa Fairbanks of the American Red Cross of South Central Indiana.
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