An Indiana woman was reported as missing last week after a “suspicious” fire at home, authorities said.
Britney Gard, 46, was last seen on the night of September 30, according to the Putnam County Sheriff’s office. It is considered a person in danger of extinction “due to their unknown whereabouts”, the Sheriff’s office saying.
The authorities responded to their home on October 1, after a call at 911 for a fire in their home in Bainbridge, located about 40 miles west Indianapolis, said the sheriff’s office. It was reported that the smoke came from the residence around 7:40 pm, the office said.
Britney Gard is seen in photos without date published by the Putnam County Sheriff’s office.
Putnam County Sheriff Office
Fire teams extinguished the fire, which researchers believe it is “in suspicious nature,” said Putnam County Sheriff Jerrod Baugh, in a statement on Friday.
No one was found in the house damaged by fire, and attempts to contact Gard were not successful, said the Sheriff’s office. It was not located after an assisted search for drones of the area and looks for a pond on the property after the fire, said the Sheriff’s office.
Gard was supposed to attend his daughter’s volleyball game on October 1, but did not appear, his sister, Stephanie Bowen, told ABC Indianapolis Affiliate WRTV.
“His car is at home, his bag is at home. He is nowhere and the house is on fire. It makes no sense,” Bowen told WRTV.
“I feel there is something bigger here we don’t know,” he said.
Britney Gard was last seen on September 30, 2025, according to the Putnam County Sheriff’s office.
Putnam County Sheriff Office
The search continued this week for the mother of two children, with dozens of people, including their sisters, looking through corn fields and wooded areas near Gard’s property on Monday, WRTV reported.
The detectives asked anyone with information about their whereabouts to contact the Sheriff’s office.
“We continue to investigate this case throughout the day and we are involved with his family to find Britney,” Baugh said. “Since this is an active investigation and continue to collect information per hour, we will not discuss any more particular evidence or information until we can complete this effort and find Britney Gard.”
Bowen urged people to be “vigilantes” and to review the security cameras of their home.
“Britney, we love you,” he told WRTV. “We hope to see you return safely home.”
