Eastside apartment fire displaces 5 people

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The Indianapolis Fire Department responded to an apartment fire on the city’s eastside Monday afternoon.

Firefighters were dispatched to the Brookview Apartments, located just north of 10th Street off of Mitthoffer Road shortly after 4:30 p.m.

When firefighters arrived on the scene, they noticed heavy smoke coming from the first floor of a unit. They were able to contain the fire and damage to the single unit and bring the blaze under control in 15 minutes. Nobody was inside the unit at the time of the fire.

IFD says unattended food on the stove caused the fire. The woman who lived in the apartment told firefighters that she was cooking on the stove and briefly left the apartment to find one of her children outside. She said that she left her 13-year-old child to watch the food, but that child also left the apartment. When they returned, the kitchen was fully involved in fire.

Damage is estimated at $175,000. IFD Victims Assistance is working with the American Red Cross and apartment management to relocate the family. The family does not have insurance.

IFD reminds residents to never leave cooking food unattended.