MCCORDSVILLE — There wasn’t time to think. The three Fortville police officers simply sprang into action when they saw the house on fire. In the end, their actions likely saved the lives of two teenagers who were home asleep when a fire broke out.
Fortville officers were waved down by an alert passerby shortly before 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 23, and told there was a fire at a nearby residence. After calling in the blaze, reserve officers Sarah Lockhart and Ben Kessinger, along with Detective Matt Fox, arrived on the scene in the 9200 block of North County Road 400W within minutes and found the two-story residence with flames showing on the back side of the home.
Unable to determine if anyone was inside, Kessinger quickly forced his way into the front of the home, assisted by Lockhart. Fox, meanwhile, was trying to break in the back of the house but was thwarted by the flames, Fortville Police Chief Patrick Bratton said.
Kessinger and Lockhart checked the downstairs area, then headed upstairs and found the two teens, who were asleep and unaware the house was burning.
The two officers are credited with likely saving the young people’s lives.
“I would say so,” Bratton said. “After talking with the fire chief on how bad this fire was, I’d say this phone call we’re having would not be the same — we’d be talking about a tragedy if not for our officers.”
While police officers are dedicated to enforcing laws in the community, running into a home engulfed in flames is something entirely different, Bratton said.
“We normally leave that type of work for the fire departments,” Bratton said. “We were fortunate someone flagged them down and they were close enough to alter the scenario.”
The Vernon Township Fire Department was on a medical call when the report about the house fire came in. Some first-responders left that scene and responded as quickly as possible, Chief Chad Abel said.
While the house is still standing, there is significant smoke and fire damage. The fire was contained to the back of the structure near a family room area.
The home was not equipped with working smoke alarms, Abel said, and the door to the bedroom where the two teens were sleeping was closed.
Abel noted that’s why the teens — the homeowner’s son and a friend — were not aware of the fire.
“In my estimation, had we not had a lot of things go right at the front end of this, we’d certainly be having a different discussion,” Abel said. “There is no doubt the action of those police officers saved lives.”
Abel said investigators believe the blaze started in ashes from a fire in the home’s fireplace that had been removed outside. It appears material re-ignited, and the flames eventually made their way into an overhang on the porch before spreading into the back of the house.
“It’s fortunate how things turned out because that house went up pretty quickly,” Bratton said.
While the officers suffered from some smoke inhalation, they escaped without injury. Neither of the teenagers was injured.
As a result of the incident, Bratton plans to submit a proposal to town officials to make sure his officers have safety fire hoods in their vehicles in case they confront a similar scenario again.
“It’s something they can throw on,” Bratton said. “We want to protect our officers and give them a smoke hood that might give them a few more minutes instead of coughing and struggling to get through.”
Bratton said he was proud of the officers.
“Their actions reflect great credit upon themselves and the Fortville Police Department,” he said.
