When fire crews and law enforcement arrived on the scene, the home was fully engulfed in flames officials said.
Photo-Bob Ehle, New Palestine Police Department
NEW PALESTINE — When the emergency call first came in as a confirmed structure fire around 6 a.m. Wednesday morning, New Palestine Chief of Police Bob Ehle immediately headed toward the scene of the incident in the 4100 block of W. 100S.
“I was coming up Bittner Road, heading north near 300S, and I could see smoke and flames from there,” Ehle said. “You could tell it was a bad one.”
When Ehle and fire crews from the Sugar Creek Township Fire Department first arrived, the home, nestled in the trees, was fully engulfed in flames and is considered a complete loss, fire officials said.
The call was identified for first responders as one they should be “cautious” on because it was at the same address law enforcement was at just a few weeks ago when they tried to serve a warrant on a suspect out of Marion County.
While officials from SCTFD and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department said they could not comment on how the fire started and if it is deemed to be suspicious or not just yet, a full investigation is underway.
Investigators from both departments noted the home located at 4100 block of W. 100S is the one that law enforcement tried to serve a warrant on to a suspect named Russell A. Collins, 48, Indianapolis, on May 11. Collins had multiple warrants in Marion County and was reported to be at the residence near the intersection of County Roads 400W and 100S, just outside of New Palestine.
After a lengthy search involving officials from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department on May 11, a tip to a Sheriff’s official ended up helping law enforcement capture Collins later that day in Indianapolis.
While officials could not confirm the fire as suspicious or that the previous incident involving Collins had anything to do with the fire Wednesday morning, the home was destroyed and an investigation is ongoing.
“We’re still trying to figure things out,” Sheriff’s detective Ted Munden said. “It will probably be a couple of days before we know anything else.”
Munden noted the home owner, who was inside the house when the fire started, was able to get out without sustaining any injuries, and officials from SCTFD confirmed no firefighters were hurt while fighting the blaze.
Tony Bratcher, public information officer for the SCTFD, told the Daily Reporter when their crews first arrived on the scene there was a heavy fire and the whole house was fully involved.
“The Sheriff’s Department was on the scene and the New Palestine Police Department were both a big help on this one,” Bratcher said. “Chief (Bob) Ehle jumped in and was pulling lines and assisting our firefighters.”
Multiple fire units and officials were on the scene for several hours after the fire was extingusished, and things were under control Wednesday morning. Officials even closed the road, W 100S, to local traffic while they battled the blaze and conducted an investigation.
