Third victim dies weeks after suspected arson fire on East Anderson Road

Staff report

Bloomington, Ind. – Febrary 6, 2026

A third person has died following a suspected arson house fire that broke out Jan. 18 in Monroe County, authorities said.

Paula Anderson, 53, of Bloomington, died Feb. 4 at Eskenazi Hospital in Indianapolis from injuries she suffered in the fire, Monroe County Coroner Jeff Hall said in an update sent to media on Friday. An autopsy has been scheduled to help determine her cause of death, Hall said.

The death comes more than two weeks after the early-morning fire in the 3800 block of East Anderson Road, which was first reported around 2:39 a.m. Jan. 18, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

In a previous release issued Jan. 19, the sheriff’s office said dispatchers received multiple 911 calls reporting a possible house fire with occupants potentially trapped inside. When deputies and firefighters arrived, they found a vehicle that had crashed into an attached garage, which was actively burning, the release said.

Authorities said two people who escaped the residence suffered severe burns and were taken to IU Health Bloomington Hospital before being transferred to a hospital in Indianapolis for further treatment. During the response, deputies accounted for two remaining occupants who died from injuries sustained in the fire, officials said.

The coroner’s office previously identified those two deceased victims as Mary Blake, 74, of Bloomington, and Kristine Rowan, 33, of Bloomington. Cause and manner of death for both were pending autopsy results at the time, the coroner said.

The sheriff’s office said investigators also began searching for a person suspected of starting the fire. With assistance from the Bloomington Police Department and Indiana State Police, a person of interest was found about an hour later in a wooded area on the property, according to the Jan. 19 release. That individual also had burn injuries and was taken to IU Health Bloomington Hospital before being transferred to a hospital in Indianapolis, officials said. Charges were pending as the investigation continued.

Hall said the case remains an “active and ongoing” investigation involving multiple agencies. The sheriff’s office previously said the investigation includes the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Investigative Division, Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office, Monroe County Fire Protection District, and the Monroe County Coroner’s Office.

All individuals are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

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