LA GRANGE — Fayette County Sheriff Keith Korenek reported, on the night of Aug. 16 around 9:38 p,m., the Fayette County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call reporting a structure fire on Plum Church Road off State Highway 71 near La Grange and it was reported by the caller someone was still in the house and cannot get out. The La Grange Fire Department was notified and responded along with Fay ette County Deputies, Fayette County EMS 2, and EMS Medic 1. La Grange Fire Department requested mutual aid from the Muldoon Fire Department. Sgt. Ryan Meagher arrived on the scene to a wooden structure residence that was heavily engulfed with fire. Neighbors advised the lady was still inside the residence. Sgt. Meagher at - tempted to contact the female resident
through a bedroom window by attempt ing to get her out.
Meagher was advised there is a door on one side which he ran to and was able to get the female occupant and her dog out of the house fire and to neighbors until EMS arrived. She was treated for smoke inhalation. La Grange Fire Department arrived and had several exposures to protect from the fully engulfed residence. The fire was extinguished and a trailer next to the residence also had burned and there was damage to other exposures. The cause of the fire is still under inves tigation. Sgt. Meagher told the Banner Press, "The call came in as a structure fire which is a very common call for our agency but the dispatcher advised the caller was inside of the residence and was unable to get out. I asked our dis -
patcher to find out what part of the house she was trapped inside but my dispatch - er stated the call disconnected and they were unable to get the caller back on the line. The Fayette County Sheriff's Office covers approximately 960 square miles. I happened to be two miles from the fire when the call came in. It was definitely the right place right time moment." Sgt. Meagher continues, "I'm very confident any one of our deputies would have act ed in the same manner that night had they been closer. As a matter of fact, we have had numerous deputies get awards in the last several years for life-saving events. As a police officer, your job is to act when other people cannot act for themselves. I'm very glad everyone was okay and no one was injured. You can replace things but you cannot replace life. The fire was in a very bad spot and thankfully the fire department was able to get the fire contained before it spread to other residences."
