15-year-old dead following house fire on city’s east side

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — One teenager is dead after a house fire erupted at two homes Thursday night.

15-year-old Abraham Lowe was a freshman at Warren Central High School. Lowe is said to have been wheelchair bound since birth.

The Indianapolis Fire Department responded to a fire just after 6 p.m. in the 1800 block of Quiet Haven Circle.

“When the firefighters got here, they were yelling that there was still a boy in a wheelchair in the house and they all took off trying to see if they were going to be able to get him out,” neighbor Lexi Kmitta said.

It is believed that the fire started in one home before spreading to another close by.

Lowe’s school district issued the following statement Friday morning:

The Metropolitan School District of Warren Township extends heartfelt condolences to the family of Abraham Lowe, a student at Warren Central High School.

Abraham held a special place in the hearts and minds of Warren faculty and students alike and our thoughts and prayers go out to the family.

District counselors have met with students who knew Abraham and are providing emotional assistance during this difficult time.

“He was always smiling,” Kmitta said. “It didn’t matter if you were having a bad day. If you saw his smile…he just made your day better.”

The fire is believed to have started on a kitchen stove.

Lowe’s cousin, 39-year-old Elijah Turner, tried to stop the fire but would have to evacuate due to its intensity.

Turner was transported to Sidney & Lois Eskenazi for possible smoke inhalation.

The fire quickly grew out of control and consumed the entire structure within minutes.

Damages from the fire are estimated at $350,000 for both houses.

The cause for the fire is currently under investigation.

“It is really tough. It is tough when you lose anybody, but when you lose someone that is young and they still have their whole life ahead of them and everything, it’s just even worse,” Kmitta said.