The Batesville Fire Department was called to a fire on Gainer Ferry Road Tuesday night to assist the Ruddell Hill Fire Department at a large structure fire. The BFD aerial truck was used to help extinguish the fire from above. Images: Batesville Fire Department
This story has been updated. Click here for the most recent version.
UPDATE — Sept. 2, 2026, 10 a.m.: The Batesville Fire Department is currently responding to the Broadwater Lane structure fire, which rekindled Wednesday morning.
To support emergency operations, officials have shut down Broadwater Lane at Davis Lane.
Area firefighters were busy Tuesday, responding to two structure fires within hours of each other, including a two-story blaze on Ruddell Hill that drew crews from four departments.
The Batesville Fire Department said crews first responded to a reported structure fire at a home on Broadwater Lane. Because the call came in during a department meeting, firefighters were able to respond quickly and with a large number of personnel, according to BFD. All occupants had already left the home before crews arrived.
Firefighters conducted an interior search, extinguished the fire, and began salvage and overhaul operations, the department said.
Batesville Fire Chief Mark McCollum told White River Now Wednesday morning that the fire apparently began in the car port/laundry room area and then spread to the attic.
Around 11 p.m., BFD was then called to assist the Ruddell Hill Fire Department at a second, larger fire on Gainer Ferry Road. By the time crews arrived, the fire had burned through the roof and heavily involved the second floor of a two-story home, the BFD said in a statement.
Ladder 1 was used as an elevated waterway to help control the fire on the roof and second floor, according to the department. Firefighters also searched the home and found no occupants inside.
The Bethesda, Northside, Batesville, and Ruddell Hill fire departments all responded to the Ruddell Hill fire, according to BFD.
No injuries were reported in either incident. The causes of both fires were not immediately available.
A structure fire on Broadwater Lane in Batesville.
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