Boys credited with saving grandparents from fire

GREENWOOD, Ind. (Daily Journal) - Two Greenwood boys saved their sleeping grandparents from a burning house.

A fire destroyed a home at a floral business on State Road 44 in southwestern Johnson County.

Firefighters spent hours Saturday night battling the fire at 7201 W. State Road 44, Union Township, Trafalgar Fire Chief Tom Tharpe said. The building had been home to Morningside Gardens, a business that's sold thousands of varieties of daylilies, hostas and other perennials for 30 years.

The one-story house was a complete loss, with total damage estimated at $120,000. Owners Walter and Debra Henricks are staying with relatives.

Firefighters are investigating what caused the blaze, which started in the garage, Tharpe said.

The Henrickses had gone to sleep while their grandsons stayed up to watch a movie, family members said.

Isom Elementary School student Gabriel Smithers, 10, saw thick smoke coming from the garage and quickly went to rouse his grandparents, whom he led out of the house as smoke filled the living room.

Debra Henricks said her grandson had to convince her that there really was a fire and that they had to crawl to safety.

"If he hadn't saved me, I would be dead," Debra Henricks said. "I'm so proud of what he did."

Greenwood Middle School student Kasey Smithers, 12, ran barefoot a half-mile down the road to call 911 and get help. He directed firefighters to the house after confusion about whether it was in Johnson County or Morgan County, relative Debbie Smith said.

They got their grandparents out of the house just before the windows in the garage exploded, Smith said.

"We really think they were heroes," she said. "They got them out of there just in time and they did exactly what they had been taught to, even though the fire was already going pretty strong."

While the fire spread, relative Will Smith ran across the street and rescued two dogs from the burning home, Debbie Smith said. Ten animals, including eight cats that were supposed to be displayed at a 4-H show, died in the blaze.

After leading his grandparents to safety, Gabriel Smithers tried to get back into the house to rescue his pet dog, which perished in the fire.

"My parents are deep sleepers and would have died of smoke inhalation if Gabe and Kasey didn't act the way they did," said Laura Henricks, the mother of the boys. "I don't know if they understood the full gravity of the situation at the time, but they did the right thing and saved my parents."

Flames spread quickly, fueled by furniture and other flammable objects, Tharpe said.

Firefighters arrived about 9 p.m. to discover that the house was engulfed with flames, he said.

"We immediately saw that we'd have to fight it defensively," Tharpe said. "We didn't send anyone inside and just tried to get it under control. It was just a matter of containing it."

The Bargersville Fire Department was first to arrive. Other departments that helped fight the fire came from Trafalgar, Morgan-town and Green Township.

All four departments used their 3,000-gallon tankers to haul water about three miles from a tower in Morgantown to the rural home. Firefighters needed more than 25,000 gallons to put out the fire, Tharpe said.

Firefighters also sprayed the home with a layer of foam to stifle the blaze and prevent it from reigniting.

The fire apparently did not cause significant damage to the flower gardens, which are spread out over a few acres of the partly wooded property, Tharpe said.

The Henrickses intend to keep Morningside Gardens open, Debra Henricks said.

Before the fire, the Henrickses had been planning to start a foundation to teach children suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder about flowers and agriculture.

Thanks to the Johnson County Daily Journal for this story.