Elderly Man Rescued From Burning Home In NW Indiana

LAKE STATION, Ind. (STMW) -- Police officers are credited with pulling an elderly man from a burning house early Thursday in Lake Station, Ind.

Lake Station police Cpl. Mike McKenzie was driving in the 2700 block of Central Avenue about 12:18 a.m. when he saw smoke coming from a home in the 2700 block of Central Avenue, according to a police news release.

Off-duty Sgt. Jimmy Lamprecht arrived and walked up to the house with McKenzie. They saw blackened, melting doors and windows, the release said.

Using a pry bar, other officers who arrived forced open a locked gate at the rear of the house while Lamprecht and McKenzie tried to break through another door, police said.

They found an 83-year-old man lying inside blocking the rear door and carried him to an ambulance, police said.

The man was taken to an area hospital but his condition was not immediately known Thursday night.

Firefighters struck out the fire soon after, officials said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation by Lake Station police and fire officials, as well as the Indiana State Fire Marshal's office.