Whiteland officer rescues dogs from house fire; northbound lanes of US 31 remain shut down

WHITELAND, Ind. — An investigation is underway after a residence fire caused traffic to come to a standstill in both directions of US 31 between Franklin and Whiteland Tuesday night.

Units with the Greenwood Fire Department were dispatched shortly after 9 p.m. to the 700 block of South US 31 to assist the Whiteland Fire Department on a residence fire. Crews on the scene confirmed to FOX59/CBS4 that the fire was out shortly before 10 p.m.

The Greenwood Fire Department confirmed in an update around 10:26 p.m. that traffic in the southbound lanes has reopened. Traffic remains at a standstill in the northbound lanes as multiple units are still on the scene.

An officer with the Whiteland Police Department, who was one the first units to arrive on the scene, entered the residence to check on the status of any potential occupants inside. WPD said the officer did not find anybody but did find multiple dogs that were safely brought outside.

“There were a couple of dogs running around. We grabbed them by their collars. We picked them up and dragged them out of the residence,” said Matt Kegeris, an officer with WPD. “By the time we did that, firefighters were on the scene.”

While searching the residence, the officer was injured. The extent of the injury was not immediately provided.

The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.

No other information was immediately available .

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