By Howard Greninger
SANDFORD — Bent over as she sat in her car, Sherri L. Plant cried and shook as less than 80 feet away, flames bellowed out the back end of her home Friday in Sandford in northern Vigo County.
Unable to speak, she then embraced her son, Zachary Rust.
“She was gone and had taken Zachary to the doctor and was taking him back to school, so no one was at home when the fire started. I had to call her on her cell phone,” said her sister, Connie Leclercq.
About 20 firefighters from Shepardsville, Sandford and Sugar Creek volunteer fire departments worked more than an hour to extinguish the fire at Plant’s home at the intersection of Lucerne and Eleana streets in Sandford.
The fire started about 1 p.m.
“The cause of the fire is still undetermined,” said Wade Biggs, Sandford assistant fire chief.
Fire trucks had to travel 3 miles east to the intersection of U.S. 150 and Sandford Road to reach a fire hydrant to fill water trucks, Biggs said. The trucks then drove back, dumping water into a 3,000 gallon “dump tank” near the house.
Rust soon found the family pet, a three-legged dog named “Peanuts,” that had been tethered outside the house. A neighbor had moved the dog. Three family cats were believed to be outside the house at the time of the fire.
Biggs said the home was a total loss. Plant told firefighters she has insurance on the house.
Howard Greninger can be reached at (812) 231-4204 or howard.greninger@tribstar.com
