The year ended badly for an Ironton resident after he lost his home to a blaze on New Year’s Eve and the Ironton Fire Department is trying to locate him to make sure he is OK.

Ironton Fire Department Captain Jeff Joseph said the house that Terry Nelson lives in caught on fire around 10 p.m on Dec. 31. and the fire had engulfed the rear of the building.

“It came through the roof soon after we arrived,” Joseph said. “The back of the house was engulfed and the electric lines were down in the backyard and they couldn’t get to the back of the house.”

Crews were on scene until nearly 2 a.m.

“The house is completely gone,” Joseph said. “It is destroyed.”

He added the fire is still under investigation as to the cause.

Joseph said they don’t know how Nelson is, because they haven’t been able to locate him, although they know he wasn’t killed in the house.

“We haven’t found Terry to check on his well-being. No one has seen him since the fire,” Joseph said. “Much like Elvis, everyone has seen him but no one can actually prove it is him.”

Nelson is known for walking around Ironton in flamboyant outfits including a red devil outfit.

Joseph said people have called in saying they have seen him, but, when an officer arrives, they can not locate him.

“As of right now, we know he isn’t dead, there wasn’t a body in the house, but nobody has talked to him,” he said. “We don’t know if he’s hurt, he needs assistance or whether there is something to this. We don’t know if someone had a grudge against him. We just want to talk to him and see what is going on.”

If anyone knows Nelson’s location, they can call the fire department at 740-532-0043.