SYRACUSE —
Four members of a Syracuse family escaped their burning home with the help of local police and firefighters late Monday.
Turkey Creek Fire Territory personnel and Syracuse police responded to the fire at 701 N. Harrison St. at 11:49 p.m. People were believed to be inside the house.
Syracuse police officers Ben Hostetler and Joe Denton entered the home to awaken the second-floor occupants and notified them of the fire. No one was home on the first floor, police said.
Turkey Creek Fire Chief Mickey Scott said two adults and two children moved out onto the roof house because their entry was blocked by the fire.
“We weren’t there yet,” Chief Scott said of the police rescue. When firefighters arrived, the family members were brought down a ladder from the roof to safety by firefighters and police officers.
Officer Hostetler said Tuesday evening that he and Denton heard the fire call go out and arrived within seconds.
“We had the address and got there. We saw flames on the side of the house,” Hostetler said.
The police officers knocked on the door and windows, but no one responded at the first story entrance, so they entered the home, calling to any occupants. They rescued a dog, but did not find anyone in the first level of the home.
“We were hollering, ‘Syracuse police, the house is on fire,’ and we heard a female voice upstairs. We said the house is on fire and they needed to get everyone out immediately,” Hostetler said.
But the stairs to the second story was blocked by fire and the officers could not go upstairs.
Hostetler explained he and Denton then went outside and helped firefighters rescue the family with a ladder.
Hostetler, who had been a reserve officer for three and one-half years before joining the force full-time in November, said he had never experienced anything like this before.
The fire was brought under control at 2:20 a.m., according to Chief Scott.
The occupants of the second floor apartment — Kevin Simons, Alexis Binder and their two children, Hunter and Hannah Simons — were treated at the scene and also transported to a local hospital due to smoke inhalation. They were later released. No one was hurt fighting the blaze.
Hostetler was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation. Denton was transported to Kosciusko Community Hospital due to smoke inhalation and released about 3 a.m. He was expected to return to work Tuesday evening, according to a spokesperson at the town police office.
There were no other residents in the structure at the time of the fire.
According to Scott, there were no operational smoke detectors noted at the time of the fire.
The residence, owned by Eleazar and Peggy Cadena of Ligonier, was estimated to be a total loss. Scott said he does not believe the renters have insurance.
Scott said the police officers probably saved the lives of the residents, since they were asleep and there were no operating smoke detectors. “They woke them up,” Scott said.
The Turkey Creek Fire Territory was also assisted at the scene by the Benton Township Fire Department, the North Webster Fire Department and EMS, the Kosciusko County Fire Investigation Team and the Kosciusko County Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Scott urged the public to make sure they have smoke detectors in their homes that are in working order, and to test them once a month.
The American Red Cross in Kosciusko County has reached out to the family but had not confirmed their needs as of Tuesday afternoon.
Local News
Related Photos
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This house at 701 W. Harrision St. in Syracuse, was heavily damaged by a fire overnight Monday. Sam Householder
Police officers alert family to life-threatening house fire
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