Indianapolis Fire Department
Date: Friday December 25, 2020
Working Residence Fire – with exposures
605 W 28th St.
Dispatched at 4:07 PM
Multiple Calls to 911 reporting heavy fire
First Unit on scene – BC05 at 4:09 PM
Two Story Ordinary Construction
Heavy Fire showing on arrival
15 IFD Units Dispatched
5 Handlines – 2 Supply Lines -1 Aerial Ops
Primary Search of exposure house complete at 4:13 pm
Command Orders Evacuation and Defensive Ops only at 4:28 PM
No Working Smoke Alarms
Utilities Secured and disconnected to main structure and exposure
All occupants of primary structure accounted for at 4:33 PM
Occupants of exposure structure accounted for at 4:43 PM
Command orders 20 ft perimeter of house due to imminent collapse at 4:58 PM
Fire under control at 5:28 PM
No injuries
IMPD on Scene
IEMS on Scene
Incident Commander – Battalion Chief Rick Longerich
IFD/IMPD Fire Investigations – Fire under Investigation
Occupants told firefighters they believe the fire originated upstairs in a bedroom where an unattended space heater was running to keep their 2 dogs warm. The dogs may have tipped over the space heater onto nearby combustibles. The home was full of excessive clutter which made an aggressive attack on the structure difficult and hazardous for firefighters. The occupants were at a neighbor’s house and not home when the fire broke out. The 2 adult occupants have lived in the residence for 11 years. They were in process of buying it. They did not have insurance and the home and all contents were a total loss. They will work with IFD Victims Assistance and Red Cross for shelter.
2 dogs unaccounted and are believed to have perished in the fire
2 adults occupy the exposure house (601) and were displaced. They were not home when the fire broke out and communicated to their structure.
Command terminated at 6:11 PM
-Submitted Rita Reith MPIO
