SW Ind. neighbor rescues woman, 96, from home fire

OWENSVILLE, Ind. — A southwestern Indiana woman is being hailed as a hero for rescuing a 96-year-old neighbor from a home set ablaze by a lightning strike.

The Princeton Daily Clarion reports that Lorena Wilder’s neighbor, Debbie Lane, rescued her from her burning home last week in the town of Owensville about 10 miles southwest of Princeton.

Wilder’s granddaughter, Debbie Lane, said her grandmother’s home was filled with smoke early on Feb. 29 after lightning from a thunderstorm set fire to its laundry room. She says her grandmother can walk but moves slowly and “was hollering for someone to help her” at her front door.

Wilder’s neighbor, Pam Wolfe, ran to the home and walked Wilder across the street to the safety of her home while another neighbor called 911.