$4M in damages reported after truck stop fire
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — One-hundred firefighters responded to a three-alarm blaze Sunday evening at a southwest Indianapolis truck stop.
Fire crews were called around 7:30 p.m. to the Flying J in the 1700 block of Thompson Road.
Smoke could be seen from miles away and was even visible on radar.
Investigators believe the fire started outside the Denny’s restaurant attached to the truck stop. IFD originally estimated the damage to be $2 million, but on Monday they released an updated number of $4 million. IFD says structural loss accounted for $3 million and inventory and equipment accounted for the other $1 million in damages.
No one was injured in the fire.
A fire official said Monday night crews would remain on scene all night and a cause likely wouldn’t be determined until sometime Monday.
About 40 people were inside the building when the fire started, a fire official said. Truck stop employees quickly spread the word and everyone evacuated safely.
The building was far enough away that gas pumps were not in danger of catching fire, a fire official said. Several propane tanks were also nearby, but none exploded.
By the time fire crews arrived, flames were already shooting through the roof, IFD said.
The blaze was marked under control around 9:45 p.m. IFD said about 2,000 semis pass through the truck stop every day, with 100 to 200 spending the night.