Fire at an Apartment Complex on West Side Left 2 Residents and 2 Firefighters Injured
Source: Photo Courtesy of the Indianapolis Fire Department / Via Facebook
INDIANAPOLIS — Two residents and two firefighters were injured after a fire was caused at an apartment complex late Thursday around 5:00.
Wayne Township Fire Department (WTFD) was called to Island Club Drive around after many reports of a fire with possible people trapped inside.
When firefighters arrived, they saw heavy fire emerging from the third floor as residents were evacuating. Soon after arriving at the scene, they were made aware that many residents were still trapped in units at the back of the complex.
Firefighters were able to use a ladder to rescue one resident from the apartment’s third floor. That occupant was transported to an area hospital in “serious condition,” according to WTFD.
Another individual managed to get away from the flames by jumping off a balcony of the apartment complex’s second story. That victim received medical treatment and was released on the scene, according to WTFD.
According to WTFD Public Information Officer Eric Banister, two firefighters were injured, with one needing to be taken to a hospital for minor treatment, while the other was treated on the scene.
Banister also addressed that a local boater assisted firefighters by alerting them to additional residents in need of assistance.
“As we went around the back to see if there was anyone on the back side of the fire, a boater was pointing at the building and there were people on the second and third floor that needed help,” Banister said. “On our way to help them, he pointed them out to us.”
Pets were safely rescued from the building, with no reported animal injuries, and Banister praised the community for ensuring everyone was accounted for even before first responders arrived at the scene.
“I talked to one of the apartment maintenance persons who went to the third floor and the second floor knocking on doors and trying to help people get out so there were a lot of heroes today long before the fire trucks got here,” Banister said.
The Speedway Fire Department and Indianapolis Fire Department also assisted at the scene.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated.
