The Indianapolis Fire Department said no one was hurt in a house fire that was caused by a man attempting to thaw active gas lines underneath the home using a blowtorch on Wednesday.
According to the post on social media, the fire happened around 5:39 p.m. at 8311 Hill Gail Drive.
IFD said the man was working inside the crawl space in the back of the home when the owner inside noticed fire in the bedroom closet. The fire started when sparks from the torch flew into an open chase and into the house.
The owner noticed the fire in a bedroom closet, called 911 and evacuated the home. The homeowner told the 911 operator that he wasn't sure if the man in the crawlspace, his brother, had gotten out.
At the scene, crews began to extinguish the fire and search for the man in the crawl space. IFD reports the man in the crawl space was unaware that the house was on fire. "With a language barrier hampering efforts to effectively communicate with him, the man refused to evacuate the space and continued working," IFD wrote in the post. Crews were eventually able to extract him and say that he was not harmed.
IFD said the homeowner was aware that his brother was using the blowtorch on the gas pipes, and did so at the owner's request, saying he had experience as a plumber.
The fire was under control in 25 minutes, IFD said. IFD also secured the gas to the home.
While no one was reported injured, the fire caused significant damage to the interior of the home and displaced three adults and one dog.
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