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Milton – Late this afternoon an off duty trooper was able to alert homeowners to a fire on the exterior wall of their home, and then extinguish the fire before fire fighters arrived.

Just before 4 p.m. this afternoon Pendleton Trooper Tyler Painter was driving with his sons in his personal vehicle through Milton, a town in western Wayne County. As he drove down East Main he saw flames on the exterior side wall of a home at 115 E. Main St.

Painter jumped out of his truck and called 9-1-1 as he ran up and knocked on the door to alert the homeowners, who were home at the time. He ran around to the side of the home and found that ashes from a wood stove that had been dumped in the side yard had ignited and set the home’s siding on fire.

Painter was able to pull the effected siding off and extinguish the fire underneath before the fire was able to spread. Painter, who resides in western Wayne County, is a seven year member of the Indiana State Police and works as a road trooper assigned to Wayne and Henry Counties.

This incident is more than just being at the right place at the right time. It serves as a reminder that an Indiana State Trooper is always on duty, and further demonstrates the value of troopers living in the communities they serve.