Published: December 14, 2009 02:50 pm      

Man burned in weekend fire

ROSSVILLE — A Vermilion County man remains in intensive care after he was burned in a weekend fire.

A blaze was reported just before 2 a.m. Sunday at the home of Jerry Nuss along County Road 1700E, two miles east of Rossville.

Rossville Fire Department Chief Lloyd Smith said there was a delay in reporting the fire after Nuss had to go almost three-fourths of a mile to report the fire from a neighbor’s home.

As a result of the fire, Nuss was taken to Provena United Samaritans Medical Center where he was treated before being transferred to Wishard Hospital in Indianapolis.

A spokesman for Wishard said Nuss was in the intensive care unit at the hospital as of mid-afternoon Monday. He was listed in good condition.

Smith said the story-and-a-half home was fully involved in flames when firefighters arrived on the scene. Smith, who lives about five miles from the address, noted he could see the flames as he left his home.

The original fear was that Nuss was trapped inside the home, Smith said.

Mutual aid was called in from Bismarck Fire Protection District and Hoopeston Fire Department. Crews were on the scene until about 6 a.m. Sunday.

Smith said investigators are not sure of a cause for the blaze. Nuss did tell fire officials the fire started in the bedroom of the home. A heater was in the bedroom at the time of the fire.