Article and photos by Rita Reith
Indianapolis (IN) firefighters responded Friday afternoon to a working fire at the Lakes at Crossbridge Apartments.
Crews were dispatched at 4:27 p.m., with City of Lawrence units arriving on scene at 4:30 p.m. Firefighters had reports of entrapment but all occupants had fled prior to the arrival of the fire department, and a primary search of the three-story structure found the entrapment unfounded. Working smoke alarms had activated and roused residents.
A collapse occurred inside the structure about 45 minutes into the incident, with multiple collapses of the exterior continuing throughout the duration. One City of Lawrence firefighter sustained a slight injury.
The fire originated in apartment 235 on the second floor, with all 12 units affected by heavy fire, smoke, or water damage. The building is a total loss with a total of 21 occupants displaced.
A cat named Carter, originally unaccounted for, was located by Indianapolis firefighters during additional searches of the building. The barely breathing cat was supplied oxygen via the Project Breathe Mask and revived.
RITA L. REITH is a battalion chief with the Indianapolis Fire Department (IFD) and serves as the agency’s public information officer.
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