Downtown Rising Sun Fire Cause Appears To Be Accidental; Two Out Of Hospital

Thursday, March 5, 2015 at 6:28 AM

By Mike Perleberg

This image shows the intensity of the fire that destroyed two buildings and damaged others on Main Street in downtown Rising Sun Wednesday morning. Photo provided by Christina Roberts. (Rising Sun, Ind.) - The Rising Sun Fire Department says the cause of Wednesday’s morning’s explosion and massive fire appears to be accidental. However, the department says in a news release, the cause of the blaze that destroyed two buildings at 200 Main Street is still under investigation by the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office. Initial reports described an explosion and partial collapse of the commercial and apartment building at the corner of Main and Poplar streets. Some of the residents living in an apartment on the second floor were trapped, but firefighters rescued each of them from the burning structure. Three people were hospitalized, one of them said to be a child. The fire department said two of the victims have been released. A relative said a third victim may have been transferred to a burn unit in Indianapolis. The fire department did not release the names of the injured individuals or those whose homes were destroyed. The explosion and fire did about $750,000 in damage, Rising Sun Fire Chief Kevin Armstrong said. The apartment building – which used to house an auto parts store on the ground level – along with a building occupied by Hummel Insurance Group were consumed by the fire. Other nearby buildings were damaged by smoke and water. At the height of the fire, about 50 firefighters and volunteers from Rising Sun, Aurora, and East Enterprise were on the scene. Crews with Rising Sun were on the scene until close to 5:00 p.m. making sure that hot spots were extinguished. Rising Sun Fire Department says it was also assisted by Ohio County Life Squad, Aurora Life Squad, Rising Sun Police Department, Ohio County Sheriff Department, Sycamore Gas, Rising Sun Utilities, McAllister Excavating, Rising Sun Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary, Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office, and the Dearborn and Ohio County American Red Cross. The building at 200 Main Street has been owned by Bretzel's Corner LLC since 2010, according to property records.