Jasper 13th Street Fire

At 8:58 Sunday morning, emergency crews were dispatched to a house fire in progress near the intersection of 13 th and Main in Jasper. 

Fire Chief Kenny Hochgesang spoke with WITZ on location after extinguishing the blaze. “They smelled smoke and found a fire in the basement. According to the family members there, there’s an electric heater in a room. They feel that was the cause of the fire. They all made it out safely and the fire department was dispatched.” 

The Jasper Fire Department is made up of 38 volunteers. Chief Hochgesang is a full-time city employee, serving as the city’s fire chief and code enforcement officer. After this morning’s call when out, an estimated 32 firefighters responded. Other agencies also arrived on scene. “We were assisted by Jasper Police Department and Dubois County Sheriff’s Department. Memorial EMS had two units here, and we also have the Indiana State Fire Marshall’s Office en route so we can try to investigate and determine cause of the fire.” 

While the home could not be saved, the quick emergency response quickly contained the fire, preventing significant damage to surrounding properties. “When we arrived on the scene, we set up. We have four different fire trucks here, so we set up to start extinguishing the fire. The fire did advance through the walls and made its way upstairs fairly quickly. Of course, the home is destroyed, but one family member was transported to Memorial for smoke inhalation. A few of the firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion on scene as well.” 

The Indianapolis Red Cross office has reached out and is working to coordinate with the local chapter. While the family does have a place to stay, Chief Hochgesang said that they will need some assistance with medications, clothing, and food vouchers, so the Red Cross was called in as a resource. The Red Cross is a volunteer-led humanitarian organization that provides disaster relief. To find out how you can help, visit the Jasper Red Cross Office online at www.tristateredcross.org or call 812-481-0072.


- Drew Hasselbring