Indiana Firefighter Killed in House Fire

A firefighter was killed Wednesday morning while battling a house fire near Hanover, Ind. Larry Sedam of the Kent Volunteer Fire Department said Greg Cloud, 33, was unable to escape with other firefighters inside the rural home. Cloud worked at a factory near Carrollton, Ky. In addition, Madison, Ind., Township Fire Chief Robert Black was hospitalized with serious injuries and was scheduled for surgery Wednesday afternoon, officials said. Officials said Cloud, a 3-year veteran of the department, is the first Jefferson County, Ind., firefighter to die in the line of duty. Fire officials said the fire started about 1 a.m. EST. The blaze broke out at a home on Zoar Church Road, just off of State Road 256 in Jefferson County, Ind. Indiana State Police said the owner of the home and farm is a prominent doctor but were unsure if he was home at the time of the fire. The farm is used to raise miniature horses and had about 300 horses on the property. Officials said Wednesday afternoon that an autopsy report showed Cloud died of carbon monoxide poisoning. The fire started in a gazebo behind the house before spreading, fire officials said. According to investigators, fouls play is not suspected, but they will test for any signs of accelerants. In addition, the house did not have a working telephone, officials said.