Wanda English Burnett - Editor

The funeral service of Firefighter Greg Cloud, 33, was a grim reminder to firefighters and their families of the dangers firemen face every time they volunteer to help others.

Cloud tragically lost his life in the line of duty on November 1 after the Kent Volunteer Fire Department, of which he was a member, was called to a fire at a home located at 416 Zoar Church Road in rural Jefferson County.

The magnitude of the fire made it necessary for several fire departments to respond. According to information from Sgt. Noel Houze Jr. of the Indiana State Police, firefighters made entry to the house and shortly thereafter began to be overcome by the extreme heat and flash over from the fire. As firefighters exited the blazing building, they made a head count and realized one fireman was not with them.

Firefighters organized two rescue in progress teams to enter the building to look for the missing firefighter. He was located in the upstairs portion of the house and was already deceased, according to information from the Indiana State Police. Preliminary results from an autopsy indicate Cloud died of carbon monoxide poisoning secondary to smoke inhalation.

Another firefighter, Robert Black, 39, Chief of the Madison Township Volunteer Fire Department, was injured in the rescue attempt. Black sustained non-life threatening injury to an ankle and was taken to King’s Daughters’ Hospital in Madison where he had surgery to repair a serious fracture.

Preliminary investigation into the fire that claimed the life of one fireman and injured another indicates it originated in a gazebo located behind the house. Last Thursday an electrical engineer along with insurance investigators worked with local investigators all day as the effort to determine the cause of the fire continued. While the focus is on electrical issues, the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office noted the investigation is still wide open.

Firefighters from several local departments paid their respects on Saturday, along with numerous others and the streets were lined with people as the procession led from Southwestern High School Delbert O. King Gymnasium to the Grandview Memorial Gardens, where Cloud’s body was laid to rest.

Memorial contributions may be made in lieu of flowers to the Fishing For Kids or the Kent Volunteer Fire Company. Checks should be payable to KVFC c/o Morgan & Nay Funeral Centre, 325 Demaree Drive, Madison, IN 47250.

Agencies involved in the investigation include: Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana State Police, Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, Jefferson County Coroner’s Office, Hanover Volunteer Fire Department, Kent Volunteer Fire Department; Madison Township Volunteer Fire Department, Madison Fire Department Companies 1,3,4, and 6; New Washington Fire Department; Ryker’s Ridge Volunteer Fire Department; Deputy Volunteer Fire Department, and numerous other fire departments from surrounding Indiana counties as well as departments from Trimble County, Kentucky