Published: August 29, 2008 11:36 pm         

Neighbor helps Brazil family during house fire

Brazil — The door of 413 N. Sherman St. was still blackened from smoke and no one was home to answer.

But around 2 p.m. Friday, after a Thursday night fire, Amanda Gouchenour and the four children inside the house at the time, all had been treated and released from St. Vincent Clay Hospital and were staying with family.

Neighbor Jeff Kochvar said his daughter first saw the fire from inside their house.

“She yelled for us and said the house across the street is on fire,” he said Friday.

According to Capt. Joe Bennett, the Brazil City Fire Department received the call at 8:56 p.m. Thursday, and trucks were on the scene by 8:59 p.m.

Kochvar went across the street and saw Gouchenour carrying three children out; he asked about the fourth. When he realized a 7-month-old was still in the house, he went in after her, finding her through the smoke after hearing her cry, he said.

“I’m thankful that the Good Lord watches over us and our neighbors and those little kids,” said Kochvar, 35, a program director at ResCare.

According to Bennett, the fire began in and was contained to a bedroom within the house.

“There’s heavy smoke and water damage to other parts of the house, but mostly smoke damage,” he said.

Gouchenour leased the house and did not have renter’s insurance, Bennett noted, adding that the four children ranged in age from 4 years to 7 months, with one being her niece.

The five were transported to St. Vincent Clay by ambulance for smoke inhalation, officials said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but officials do not suspect foul play.

Brian Boyce can be reached at (812) 231-4253 or brian.boyce@tribstar.com.