Indianapolis residents were disturbed by a blaze at a vacant building on Shelby Street late Thursday night, causing minor damage to two nearby businesses. The Indianapolis Fire Department responded to reports of the fire just before midnight on the 2300 block of Shelby Street, near East Raymond Street and Interstate 65, according to WTHR.

Firefighters quickly worked to contain the blaze in the vacant building, which was surrounded by two businesses. During the incident, the rear of the structure collapsed. As per WRTV report, nearby businesses, Helm Coffee and Garfield Brewery, sustained minor roof damage, but their interiors remained unaffected. The fire was contained in under two hours with efforts involving handlines, supply lines, and aerial operations.

The fire, declared a working incident at 12:02 a.m., was quickly extinguished without any injuries. The Indianapolis Fire Department faced challenging conditions due to frigid temperatures and snow-covered, slippery surfaces, requiring careful footing during the firefighting efforts.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but authorities are considering the possibility that squatters seeking shelter from the cold may have started the fire inside the vacant building. Battalion Chief Rita Reith shared with FOX59, "We have had some collapse of the vacant structure in the rear. The businesses on either side of it–one of them is a coffee shop the other is a brewery–have sustained some damage, minor damage to their roof area but nothing major to the interior so we are happy about that." The Department of Public Works was called in to manage icy conditions that posed safety risks for both responding firefighters and the public in the affected areas.