Merrillville apartment building fire injures one, forces families from homes in two buildings
MERRILLVILLE, Ind. (CBS) -- Residents in two Merrillville apartment buildings spent the night in temporary housing after a three-alarm fire destroyed their homes. Officials say one person was injured.
Firefighters spent more than six hours trying to contain the blaze. Officials say the fire started in the basement laundry room of the 24-unit building at 140 E. 54th Ave. At least a dozen families were displaced as a result of the fire.
According to Merrillville Fire Chief Ed Yerga, the fire traveled up the walls into two false attic spaces with no fire stops.
Firefighters climbed steadily higher to look down on the raging fire that took over the apartment building as they battled the extreme heat in plummeting temperatures.
"Every fire department in Lake County has come out to help put this fire out," said Ward 2 council member Shauna Haynes-Edwards.
Water froze around the edges of the hoses, forming small icicles as well as on exposed surfaces at Meadowlane Apartments on 54th Avenue.
Neighbors watched as the flames spread in high winds from one side of the building to take over the top floor.
"I thought it was closer," said Teena Woods, who lives in the neighboring building. "I thought it was my building because I smelled smoke so close fast. And I called my next-door neighbor, and he said, 'Slow down. It's not our building.'"
Neighbors--some wearing pajamas--were forced out in the cold.
"My heart goes out to them. It's a tragedy to see families being displaced, especially when it is a cold winter night, and the temperatures are going to drop even more tonight," said Haynes-Edwards. "And so we just want to make sure that we can get them taken care of, find temporary housing, if possible, for these families, so that they can try to pick up what's left of their home and move forward."
The person who was injured suffered minor smoke inhalation and is expected to be okay. No firefighters were injured.
Residents in a second building also had to evacuate due to flooding in the basement of their structure.
As of Sunday, The Town of Merrillville's Dean and Barbara White Community Center was opened to displaced residents following the blaze. Haynes-Edwards said some displaced residents stayed with family and friends, but several displaced families remained at the center. The Red Cross is helping them in finding accommodations.
