Fire destroys Linden home

LINDEN - The State Fire Marshal has been called in to help determine what sparked a house fire in Montgomery County.

  Crews from Madison Township, Coal Creek Township and Crawfordsville fire were called to 220 Vine street around noon Thursday.

 Nathan Scalf and Brooke Schultz were not home when the fire started. Scalf said he had left the house about a half an hour before the fire started. "She (Schultz) called me and told me the house was on fire," said Scalf. "I was on County Road 1000 North. That road is trecherous. I couldn't get here fast. The inside of the house is wood. It looks like it just took off."

Scalf said he has been remodeling the house in hopes of buying it. The couple had been living there about two years.

No one was hurt, but three of his pet reptiles died in the fire. Two survived. "There was smoke everywhere," said Scalf. "There was smoking coming from every opening in the roof and there were flames coming from the windows."

Madison Township Fire Chief Fred Harshman said it appears the fire started in the kitchen. The State Fire Marshal's office is helping determine the cause.