More than $300,000 Of Damage In Morning Fires

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — A busy Tuesday morning for Indianapolis Fire Department crews as they battled an apartment fire around 7:30 a.m., and a crew member was taken to the hospital after fighting a blaze at another location. IFD says the firefighter was treated at Methodist Hospital Tuesday morning for smoke inhalation, after his mask was knocked off while fighting a garage fire, IFD officials say. According to IFD, department crews responded to a that fire just before 7:45 a.m. Tuesday at 2846 Dr. Andrew J Brown, when the firefighter tripped over clutter in the home, knocking his mask off. IFD says he breathed in the highly toxic smoke before he was able to get out of the home, and then became disoriented with breathing trouble.

IFD says the 47-year-old firefighter, a 17-year veteran, remains under observation by hospital staff, but is expected to be released and will return to duty when cleared.

IFD says the fire was out just after 8 a.m., however damage is estimated at $30,000. Officials report there was no working smoke detector in the home, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Just before this firefighter was taken to the hospital, other IFD crews were battling a fire on 6526 Gladstone Court, at Summit at Keystone apartment building. IFD says four of this building's eight units were heavily damaged by a fire that broke out just before 7:30 a.m., and seven of the eight units were occupied. All of the building's 10 residents were home, and will be placed elsewhere by IFD Victims Assistance, the apartment manager and the Red Cross, IFD says.

According to officials, maintenance crews told IFD that they have had no calls to the building for electrical issues, but several occupants told maintenance that at about 1 a.m., they smelled something "unusual," but no one reported it.

Firefighters reported finding heavy electrical gas in the attic while battling the fire.

IFD officials say damage is estimated at $300,000, and while occupants say the fire was possibly an electrical issue, crews are still investigating.

More: @IFDnews

Photo credit: IFD PIO