Wanda English Burnett, Editor

Members of the Versailles Volunteer Fire Department got an early wake-up call last Friday, June 20, when they responded to a car fire at 6:13 a.m.

“When we arrived the passenger side was fully engulfed,” noted Chuck Gunter, a spokesperson for the fire department. Gunter said the car was sitting in the Intersection of Cavehill and Signor Hill roads, just outside of Versailles.

Gunter said a Rumpke driver came upon the car and saw that it was on fire and immediately called for help. As he was waiting for help to arrive, the driver got a shock when a person came barreling out of the vehicle, his clothes on fire. He was screaming at the driver, who then made the second call for help.

Injured in the incident was Kurt Buffo, 29, of 607 Floyd Drive, Versailles. According to Gunter, the injured man said he “didn’t have a reason to live and thought the car would blow up, but it didn’t.” He told Gunter and other witnesses at the scene that he purposefully set the car on fire while he was inside.

Buffo was transported by Rescue 69 to Dearborn County Hospital where he was treated for injuries sustained in the incident.

The intersection was shut down for some time while fire officials investigated the scene, they determined to be a case of arson. State Fire Marshal Jim Skaggs was at the scene along with an investigator from the ISP, officers from the Ripley County Sheriff’s Office, Rescue 69, Medic and Versailles Volunteer Fire Department.

Submitted photo of car on fire as firefighters fought to put out the blaze.