Ladoga-Today at approximately 6:56 a.m, Trooper Ryan Winters of the Indiana State Police at Lafayette went out to his police car to go to work, and noticed a residence down the street was on fire.
Winters had just gotten into his police car when he noticed a home at 226 North Walnut Street in Ladoga, IN was on fire. He went to the residence where the back of the house was completely engulfed. Winters entered the front door of the smoked filled house and found a young male asleep on the couch in the living room. Winters was able to wake the young man and advised him to exit the house because of the fire.
Living in the Ladoga area, he knew the family who lived at the residence. Winters went up stairs and found Warren and Denny Bowling asleep in their bedroom. He woke the couple and assisted them down the stairs and outside before the house was fully engulfed. After getting the couple to a safe location away from the burning house, Winters did a check of the area for possible other dangers. As he returned to where he had left the three, Warren had also left and re-entered the house. Winters, again entered the burning house and found Warren just inside the door and escorted him to a safe location. The smoke in the house was almost to the floor when Winters entered the house for the second time.
The Ladoga Fire Department with assistance from Walnut Township Fire Department and New Market Fire Department arrived at the scene to extinguish the fire. Firemen at the scene said that if Trooper Ryan Winters had not stopped and rescued the occupants of the house, we would have probably been working a fatal house fire.
Winters was treated and released from St. Elizabeth Hospital in Lafayette for possible smoke inhalation. He has since returned to work.
Picture one is of Trooper Ryan Winters.
Picture two is the house that was on fire..
Media note: Trooper Winters has asked not be interviewed. Contact Lieutenant Tom McKee, Commander of the Lafayette Post, if interviews are needed.
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