Firefighters Tackle Early-Morning Fire in Indy
INDIANAPOLIS — A fire caused significant damage to three homes just north of downtown Indianapolis early Tuesday, displacing two families but resulting in no injuries, officials said.
Firefighters were called to the 2900 block of North Delaware Street, near 30th and Meridian, just before 6 a.m. The fire started in a vacant two-story house and spread to the homes next door, Indianapolis Fire Department Battalion Chief Rita Reith said.
“The origin house was heavily involved when crews arrived,” Reith said. “That was a house where someone was in the process of moving in, but it was not yet occupied, so we’re calling it unoccupied.”
Reith said about 70 firefighters from seven stations responded to the scene. Crews worked for roughly an hour to bring the fire under control.
“Firefighters had a lot on their hands when they got here,” she said. “We had a two-story house in the center fully involved, with exposures on either side that were both occupied. It takes a lot of coordination to make sure we’re searching the houses, applying water, and establishing supply lines at the hydrant.”
Both families living in the adjacent homes were able to evacuate safely with no injuries. The homes sustained significant damage, and the occupants are being assisted with shelter.
“The families will certainly be displaced, and we’re working with them for shelter,” Reith said.
The vacant home where the fire started belonged to a family who had owned it since at least 1981, according to Reith. The owner’s granddaughter had recently moved her belongings into the house and was planning to move in next week. Utilities had not yet been turned on.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation
