Fire guts Muncie building that was old hospital

MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) - Authorities say fire likely destroyed a downtown Muncie building dating to around 1900 that was once home of the city's first hospital.

Firefighters were called to the abandoned building late Wednesday for the blaze that could be seen around much of the city. Fire Battalion Chief Jim Clevenger tells The Star Press ( http://tspne.ws/K4GRTO ) the fire was under control about a half hour after it was reported but was likely burning for some time before it was spotted.

Clevenger says the two-story brick structure with boarded-up windows was likely empty and that firefighters stayed outside because the building was too unstable for them to enter.

The building was turned into apartments after a new hospital opened in the 1920s.