Female dies, man critically hurt in Indianapolis home fire
LATEST: The Marion County Coroner’s Office, as of April 10, 2024, was continued to work toward a positive identification of the female who died.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A Monday afternoon fire in a single-story home on the city’s east side left a female dead and a man in critical condition, a fire department email says.
No additional information on the female’s age or identity were immediately shared publicly.
Indianapolis Fire Department was called shortly before 1 p.m. Monday to the house fire in the 2600 block of North Dearborn Street. That’s a few blocks north of the I-70 interchange for Keystone Avenue and Rural Street.
Neighbors told dispatchers that people were in the burning house.
The cause of the fire was not immediately determined. The house had no working smoke alarms, says an email from Rita L. Reith, a battalion chief and director of media relations for the fire department.
Reith in the email credited the “quick actions” of the first firefighters to arrive in saving the man’s life. The man, who was not named in the email, was taken to Eskenazi hospital.
The man and the female were found in the burning home within minutes of the firefighters’ arrival, the email says.
Reith wrote in the email to the news media, “On arrival, crews found heavy fire showing from the single story residence with neighbors reporting multiple people still inside. Firefighters made aggressive entry into the structure – entering through the front door despite the heavy fire. Locating the first of 2 occupants, they brought her outside. Sadly the victim was non-viable. With additional occupants still unaccounted for, the same firefighters re-entered the home, this time through the side door of the structure – with heavy black smoke pushing from the door. During their search of the room, they located an unconscious male. Grabbing the man – they brought him outside and began providing immediate ALS (advanced life support) care. The man was transported to Eskenazi hospital in critical condition. Both of these happening within 6 total minutes of arrival. It is because of their aggressive efforts that this man has been given the best chance at survival.”
The Indiana State Fire Marshal and the Marion County Coroner’s Office were called to the fire shortly after it was reported. The coroner’s office may later publicly share the name and age of the female who died.