Make wishtv.com your home page

IFD: Two firefighters injured in Rural Street house fire

Two firefighters injured in morning house fire

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Two firefighters were injured early Tuesday while fighting a house fire on the city’s near east side, the Indianapolis Fire Department said.

Just before 3:30 a.m., crews were called to a fire at a vacant, boarded-up home in the 200 block of North Rural Street just north of Washington Street.

One firefighter was taken to the hospital for evaluation after falling through the second-story floor, IFD says.

The incident happened within four minutes of arriving on the scene, according to IFD Battalion Chief Rita Reith.

“A female firefighter…fell through the floor after burned-through joists and flooring on the second floor gave way. Her officer, on the attack line with her, leaned into the hole, grabbed her turnout coat, and attempted to pull her back up.  Another firefighter assisted. With one hand still holding the firefighter, the officer used his other hand to activate the MAYDAY protoctol over the radio,” Reith said in a release.

A Mayday may be issued any time a firefighter is hurt, trapped, missing, or unaccounted for, according to Reith.

Within a minute, additional firefighters entered the home and found the female firefighter on the first floor. They helped her to her feet and walked out of the house with her.

The firefighter was “shaken but okay” and transported to IU Health Methodist Hospital for evaluation.

A second firefighter suffered a slight injury and was taken to Eskenazi Health as a precaution.

“Both of the IFD Firefighters injured in this morning’s fire have been released from their respective hospitals and are under doctors’ orders to continue their recovery at home.  For both of them, it will likely be several days before they return to duty,” Reith said in a note to media.

The home was abandoned and the cause of the fire is unclear, but IFD says neighbors reported seeing squatters going in and out of the boarded-up building.