House burns, resident not found until morning after

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The home of Chris Spalding, 1938W 300S, destroyed in a fire at around 3 a.m. Wednesday. No one was injured, but the homeowner was not found until later. Photo by Kelly Overton

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September 2, 2010

By Andrea McCann Washington Times-Herald The Washington Times-Herald Thu Sep 02, 2010, 07:59 AM EDT

WASHINGTON — A man discovered missing after his house burned to the ground early Wednesday called his brother around 11:45 a.m., bringing a collective sigh of relief to family and friends waiting to learn if he’d been inside the house when it burned.

Chris Spalding, 43, lived alone at 1938W 300S, according his sister, Denitra Spalding, and the family couldn’t find anyone who’d had contact with him since 10 or 10:30 p.m. Tuesday. She said his phone company had been contacted to track his phone, but it was either off or destroyed.

“Both of his vehicles are here,” she said prior to Chris calling their brother Brian Spalding. “We don’t know if he was home.”

According to Denitra and their father, Bernie Spalding, the fire started at about 3 a.m. Bernie said the neighbor heard an explosion and when he looked outside, the house was engulfed in flames. Washington Township Volunteer Fire Department Chief Tony Wichman said the noise could’ve been the house venting or the structure caving in. He said the roof collapsed, knocking everything into the basement. Wichman said firefighters had the blaze under control by 3:30 a.m. Late Wednesday morning they were still trying to determine the cause of the fire.

Assisting WTVFD on the scene was Veale Township Volunteer Fire Department, the state fire marshal and the Daviess County Sheriff’s Department. Neighbor Jimmy Gaither provided a backhoe to help sift through the rubble.

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House burns, resident not found until morning after

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