Fire scene photos provided by Jasper Highlands

At 8:49 pm Monday night, the Jasper Highland Fire Department responded to a report of a residential house fire on Victory Way, located in the Jasper Farms neighborhood of Jasper Highlands. Witnesses reported the home as fully engulfed and unoccupied, triggering immediate assistance from the Jasper and Kimball Fire Departments.

When crews arrived, they found the residence had already burned extensively and collapsed, though it still posed a threat to the nearby detached garage. Firefighters focused first on protecting the garage and preventing the blaze from spreading into the adjacent forest.

During these efforts, two members of the Jasper Highland Fire Department suffered heat-related medical issues. One member recovered at the scene and returned to work, while the second member went to the hospital for evaluation and has since returned home and is doing well.

Jasper Highland extinguished the fire, remained until about 1:30 am, and addressed hot spots before everyone left safely. The department extends its gratitude to both Jasper and Kimball Fire Departments for their assistance Monday night.

A couple of additional comments on this fire. The house was remote to other homes and sat at the end of a cul-de-sac with no other homes nearby on Victory Way or Crockett Pointe. Therefore, the house was unoccupied at the time. It had been burning for a long time before a 911 call was made. Secondly, the initial report was a direct call. It did not go to the Marion County dispatch center. We’ve stressed this repeatedly and will do so again here. If you see a fire, CALL 911. Do not call firefighters directly. The 911 call alerts the entire department simultaneously via apps on phones, triggering the full emergency response. Calling firefighters directly wastes time and delays that response. Do not hesitate to call 911!