A fire erupted at a downtown Indianapolis resource center for veterans yesterday night, causing significant damage and displacing residents. According to the FOX59 report, the Indianapolis Fire Department (IFD) was called to the scene near 10th and Pennsylvania Street around 9:35 p.m., where they battled the flames for over 3.5 hours before bringing the situation under control.
The building, which houses the Helping Veterans and Families of Indiana, Inc. (HVAF), is a facility dedicated to assisting homeless veterans. Firefighters from IFD set up a perimeter around the building and attacked the blaze from multiple angles, with over 100 firefighters and 35 vehicles present on the scene, as per FOX59. There were 39 units with an occupancy of 51 people at the time of the fire, with 46 individuals being accounted for while five remained unaccounted for.
The impact of the fire was devastating for those who called the center home. As WISH-TV notes, many of the veterans lost not only their shelter but also most of their belongings to the fire. The HVAF's mission has been to combat veteran homelessness by offering crucial services, but the fire has interrupted these efforts, causing uncertainty among the community.
Residents of the building were visibly affected by the sudden loss. "It's heartbreaking. I don't know what everybody is going to do. It's a shelter for homeless veterans. I don't know how that's going to go," Jason Hill, a resident of the shelter, told WRTV in an interview.
Following the fire, IndyGo buses were dispatched to provide residents with safe, climate-controlled shelter given the circumstances, according to the report by FOX59. Three individuals were treated for slight injuries, with no casualties or injuries reported among IFD firefighters.
The exact cause of the fire is currently unknown, and investigations are ongoing. The IFD, Metro police, and other city services, are actively involved in the recovery process. In the meantime, support and aid are being provided to the displaced residents.
