MOORESVILLE, Ind. (WRTV) -- Strong winds from a storm led to a late Thursday night fire at an apartment building, displacing renters in all four units.
The Madison Township Fire Department in Morgan County responded just before 11 p.m. Thursday to a rental property on East Orchard Road.
The owner of the property said strong winds from the storm toppled a tree, pulling down a power line on the roof of the building. It caused a transformer inside the attic to ignite, the owner said.
Madison Township Fire Chief Steve Hartsock said the rain made the job more difficult by adding an extra hazard, obscuring visibility, and soaking into firefighters’ uniforms, weighing them down.
“The rain being as hard as it was, was horrendous,” Hartsock said.
It took crews about an hour to get the fire under control.
People who lived inside the building said the quick action of one of the residents may have saved lives. A man living on the first floor heard the fire start and quickly moved to wake neighbors so they could evacuate safely.
One firefighter had to be treated for smoke inhalation, but is expected to be OK. No other injuries were reported.
“Hate that it caused families to be displaced from their homes,” Hartsock said. “But I'm very thankful that it wasn't any worse for them.”
