The following article appeared in The Republic newspaper in Columbus, Indiana on Monday December 10, 2007.

My friend Gregory McCowan’s copyrighted slogan “Don’t look for a hero, be one!” is applicable to Indiana State Fire Marshall Roger Johnson, who is also a personal friend of mine.

What was not told in the following story is how Roger became involved. Driving home from a dinner meeting, he saw a house on fire and no firemen on the scene. Grabbing a fire extinguisher from his car, he entered the house but was
overcome by smoke. When two police officers arrived, he told one of them to grab a water hose and that he’d keep the water from the garden hose on the fire so they could go in the back bedroom and get the man out of the house.

Although there was a functioning ionization smoke detector in the house, it failed to go off.

A Columbus man and two city police officers were hospitalized after a house fire Saturday night at 2016 Newton St.

Clinton Imel and patrol officers Ben Quesenbery and Jennifer Van Vactor were treated for smoke inhalation after the 9:45 p.m. fire.

Sgt. Dan Meister responded to the fire to find two of the three occupants leaving the home. Warren and Betty Imel, both 82, live in the home with their son, Clinton, 44.

Clinton remained in a back bedroom of the house, blocked in by the flames, according to State Fire Marshal Roger Johnson.

The fire, near the hallway entrance to the living room, was causing thick smoke to spread quickly throughout the house, Meister said.

"All I could see were papers burning beside a bookshelf through the smoke," Meister said.

Johnson controlled the flames with a fire extinguisher and a nearby garden hose, as Patrolman Quesenbery located and helped Clinton out of the house.

"The flames were going up the living room wall," Johnson said.

"I told the officers I could hold the fire down if they could get the victim out. I kept the hose on the fire, while the policeman crawled over top of me and dragged the guy out of the house."

Officer Van Vactor also aided Johnson and Quesenbery inside the burning home.

Quesenbery, Van Vactor and Clinton were treated and released from Columbus Regional Hospital late Saturday. Johnson was treated for smoke inhalation on the scene.

The house suffered an estimated $3,000 in smoke damage and damage to the living room and hallway.

Johnson said the fire's cause has yet to be determined, but the investigation is ongoing. He said no smoke detectors were sounding during the fire.

The Imels are staying with relatives in town, according to CPD Lt. Steve Norman.

Columbus Fire Department and Columbus Regional Hospital assisted CPD in the incident.