Massive fire destroys downtown apartments under construction

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Flames raged out of control in a 3-alarm fire that destroyed a downtown Indianapolis apartment complex.

Fire investigators remain on the scene near 16th and Park Avenue looking into what caused this massive fire.

The blaze was reported just before 9 p.m.  Friday at the second phase of 16 Park Apartments which were under construction and not occupied.

The first arriving crews faced heat so intense it scorched paint on some of the fire trucks. 

Firefighters say they were faced with challenges of  heat, humidity, burning  power lines and power  poles. 

• PHOTOS | See more shots from the scene here

Police were called in to help control the crowds of onlookers.

Indianapolis Fire Department spokesperson, Lt. Larry Tracy said  IFD crews surrounded the fire with multiple aerial streams, along with numerous  ground crews using hand lines to bring the massive blaze under control  within two hours. 

Crews remained on the scene several hours to extinguish the many hotspots that remained in the large pile of collapsed framed structure.

There were some firefighters overcome by heat, Tracy said, and were treated by medics on the scene. Indianapolis Department of Public Safety also reported via twitter that a firefighter suffered a broken wrist and a bystander suffered from smoke inhalation.

Damage is estimated at $3.5 million.

Some residents of the first phase of 16 Park Apartments were displaced by the fire.

Shortly after midnight, power was restored to 16 Park and residents were able to return to their apartments.

Tracy said a church to the northeast of the burning structure was saved from sustaining any major damage, though there was some small exterior damage.

The Indianapolis Housing Authority said the four-story apartment building that would have housed 28 affordable housing units was slated to open this fall.