By Julie Pursley
IndyChannel
KNIGHTSTOWN, Ind. — An ambulance service in Henry County must now rely on help from surrounding communities after a fire destroyed one of its rigs.
The fire broke out around noon Tuesday at the Southwest District Ambulance Service building in Knightstown, and one of the ambulances was parked inside.
Investigators said they think the fire started in the engine compartment of the ambulance then spread to the building.
EMS Chief Bill Windsor said he had pulled the ambulance out to clean it earlier in the morning, but it had been parked and turned off inside the ambulance bay for about 15 minutes when the fire was spotted.
Another EMS member was inside the building and saw the smoke.
“He kept going over to our ambulance bay. When he got over there, the new ambulance that we got in November was dripping fire out from underneath the cab portion of it,” Windsor said. “He said he hurriedly called 911 and got the fire department started.”
Surrounding fire and EMS agencies will help as first responders until the destroyed ambulance can be replaced.
A number of volunteer departments responded to help Knightstown firefighters put out the fire, and U.S. 40 was closed in both directions near the building as crews fought the blaze.