Grandfather, girl dead after house fire

NEW CASTLE — Investigators are looking for the cause of a Wednesday morning fire that took the life of a grandfather and his 4-year-old granddaughter.

Liberty Township Volunteer Fire Department Chief Jimmy Raines said the house, at 1405 S. Henry County Road 850-E, was fully involved when firefighters arrived shortly after the 1 a.m. call. Firefighters removed Jenna L. Dale, 4, from the fire, and she was transported to Henry County Memorial Hospital, where she died, according to Henry County Coroner Steve Hacker.

Efforts were made to remove Michael Dale, 52, from the fire, but the blaze had too much of a head start.

The house was destroyed.

Raines said that Dale's wife also lived at the residence, and it was believed that the girl's father, who was at work at the time of the fire, lived there as well. Family members arrived on the scene shortly after the first firefighters arrived.

The call was reported by a neighbor who saw the fire while driving by.

The house is just south of Ind. 38 in eastern Henry County, near Hagerstown.

Firefighters were still on the scene at 8 a.m., along with the state fire marshal. An investigation is ongoing to determine a cause, and as of late Wednesday, there was no estimate on how quickly an investigation might conclude.