UPDATE: Cause Of Friday Night Fire Remains Under Investigation

Wednesday, July 16, 2014 at 7:28 AM

By Mike Perleberg

Twenty-five firefighters spent about six hours on the scene of a house fire on Pattison Street in Aurora Friday night and Saturday morning. Photo provided by Aurora Fire Department. Update posted Wednesday, July 16 at 3:17 p.m.: Friday night's fire on the Pattison Street in Aurora has been ruled accidental, said Aurora Fire Chief Jeff Lane. The determination was made Wednesday after Fire Investigator Clayton Kinder from the Indiana State Fire Marshal Office came to investigate the fire scene. Original story posted Monday, July 14 at 6:07 a.m.: (Aurora, Ind.) - Two residents escaped a home safely when a fire gutted its basement on Friday night in Aurora. Firefighters were called to the home on the 200 block of Pattison Street just before midnight, said Aurora Fire Chief Jeff Lane. The renter’s, Diana L. Connelton and Scott Goodpaster, were in the residence when the fire began. Connellton told firefighters she was lying on the couch watching television when she heard a loud boom as if the house had been struck by lightning. “Ms. Connelton advised fire investigators that she walked over to the basement door and opened it. She told investigators when she opened the basement door she saw fire and heavy smoke coming from the basement. She shut the basement door and the smoke detectors started going off and the upstairs started filling up with heavy smoke,” said Lane. Both residents then got out and called 911. They were not injured. Ms. Connelton told investigators she yelled to Mr. Goodpaster and told him the house was on fire and they needed to get out. When firefighters arrived, they saw the fire in the home’s basement and heavy smoke. The blaze started in the basement area where two vehicles were parked. Firefighters managed to limit damage of an estimated $140,000 to the home’s lower level. The fire is still under investigation and the State Fire Marshall’s office has been called to assist in the investigation, Lane said. Twenty-five firefighters from Aurora, Lawrenceburg, and Dillsboro were on the scene for six hours. Aurora EMS also assisted at the scene.