INDIANAPOLIS — Fire officials say apartments at a complex that caught on fire early Wednesday, leaving 13 people injured as a result, did not have smoke alarms installed.
Some units at Pangea Courts Apartments had mounts for smoke alarms but no alarms attached, while other alarms in the building were installed but not working, according to the Indianapolis Fire Department.
"It was shocking to hear. Somebody should have paid attention to what was going on, followed through on the actual requirements," said Antonio Robinson, an apartment complex resident.
Of the people who were injured, 10 were children.
The building, located in the 4400 block of Linwood Court, has 12 units inside, three of which didn't have smoke alarms. Two of those apartments were occupied by hearing-impaired individuals and did not have silent alarms made specifically for the hearing-impaired.
Fire officials say that when crews responded, they could tell the apartments did at one time have smoke alarms mounted inside the units but at some point, they were removed.
In a multi-residential home, the owner of the complex or the landlord is required to have working alarms in all of the common areas of a residence. That includes places like the hallways, gyms and community rooms.
But it is up to individual residents to maintain the smoke alarms in the units they're renting.
Robinson said the building he lives in has smoke alarms in all the common areas, and the unit he lives in was equipped with a smoke detector when he moved in.
That's something IFD Fire Marshal and Division Chief Mike Beard says is imperative for safety.
"Smoke detectors are there for you. They are not to stop fires; they are to help you get out in time where you can save your life and the life of people who live in your home — your family. If an alarm is going off, it is there to notify you. It's there to keep you aware of what is going on in your residence," said Beard.
Beard added that each hearing-impaired person should have someone there to help notify them and get them out of bed in case of a fire. He showed how the "silent alarm" works.
The Fire Department provides alarms for free, which can be ordered by calling 317-327-6093 or visiting its website.
-
Second teen arrested in alleged school shooting plot
A second teen is under arrest in connection with what investigators have called a planned mass shooting at Morristown Junior-Senior High School in Shelby County.
Meta breaks ground on $10B data center campus in Lebanon
Governor Mike Braun joined Meta executives Wednesday as the company broke ground on a more than $10 billion data center campus at the LEAP Innovation and Research District in Lebanon.
Parents of fallen Delaware County Cpl. Reynolds push for tougher CDL laws
The parents of a fallen Delaware County Sheriff's deputy are pushing for changes to Indiana and federal law following a WRTV Investigation into a semi-truck driver’s driving record.
Butler's beloved mascot Blue IV stepping away from public appearances
Butler announced its beloved bulldog mascot Blue IV is stepping away from public appearances to rest after years of year-round duties. The university says the pup will still be active on social media.
