Saturday morning fire kills Della Road resident

A local man died in a Saturday morning house fire on Della Road.

The Bartholomew County Coroner’s office is identifying the victim as 65-year-old Ronald K. Rhoades. He was the owner and only resident of the home in the 700 block of Della Road in Jewell Village that burned Saturday.

The cause of his death is not yet known, according to the coroner but no foul play is expected.

Bartholomew County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the home at 3:17 a.m. Saturday and found the home fully engulfed in flames. They began alerting nearby residents to evacuate as the fire continued to spread.

Firefighters from Clay Township, Columbus Township, Wayne Township and Elizabethtown fought the blaze.

Rhoades body was found inside the home after the fire was extinquished.