INDIANAPOLIS — A fire displaced more than 40 nursing home residents early Tuesday on the city’s east side, according to the Indianapolis Fire Department.
The Indianapolis and Lawrence fire departments responded to the fire after alarms went off at 12:06 a.m. at CrownPointe of Indianapolis located in the 7300 block of East 16th Street.
IFD Battalion Chief Rita Reith said 41 residents and three staff members were placed in IndyGo buses for heated shelter and moved to another senior living facility next door.
"The staff did a great job getting everybody out of the building and making sure they were safe," Reith said.
Reith said the fire began in the dining hall on the first floor between the fire box and an outside wall where the gas fireplace is located.
A second alarm was called to complete evacuations.
The building’s smoke alarms and sprinkler system activated, and the fire was under control within a half-hour, Reith said.
Larry New, the owner and operator of CrownPointe Communities since 2007, released the following statement to WRTV.
We are happy to report that everyone was safely removed from the building last night. Some residents were relocated to our sister facilities in Greenfield, Lebanon and Anderson, and others were sent to nearby facilities in Indianapolis. Restoration is already underway on the building, power has been restored, and we are working to have it secured today. Our residents have safe temporary homes right now, and will have a new home for them to return to soon.
We would like to thank the Indianapolis Fire Department and Captain Steve Rowland and the Lawrence Township Fire Department for the amazing job they did and their quick response in putting out the fire. We would also like to thank the facility next door, Wildwood Healthcare Center for all of their help. Thank you to all of our staff who worked tirelessly through the night to ensure the safety of all our residents including their pets. Thank you to the residents and their families for their patience and understanding as we navigated through the night and through this entire process. A special thank you to the Ombudsman Marcia Greene, the Health Facility Administrator Lori Weaver, our Head of Operations Nancy Morgan, and our Project Manager for Buildings and Grounds Skip Taylor for their quick arrival and calm response in getting everyone placed promptly. Everyone working together is what made this night end safely.
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