A Saturday morning fire at the VA Northern Indiana Health Care System's Marion campus had firefighters and law enforcement calling in extra help and asking drivers to stay away. Local and mutual-aid crews spent hours battling the blaze, while the Grant County Sheriff's Office urged motorists to avoid the VA area so water tankers and other large emergency vehicles could move freely. Officials said no one was hurt and patient care on the campus stayed on track, though they warned that unnecessary traffic could slow response times and create extra hazards for crews.
Crews contain blaze; patients safe
Marion Fire Department said its "B-Shift" crews were dispatched around 6:30 a.m. to a fire that hit engineering buildings 51, 52 and 53. Firefighters focused on keeping the flames from spreading and on protecting critical infrastructure on the campus. The department reported that the fire was contained by the afternoon, according to WRTV.
Water supply and campus operations
Officials said fire suppression efforts could briefly affect the water supply to the main campus. As a precaution, bottled water and handwashing stations have been set up on site. Even with those measures in place, officials stressed that patient healthcare operations were not impacted, per WTHR.
Traffic, tankers and public safety
The Grant County Sheriff's Office took to Facebook to ask drivers to steer clear of the VA area and use alternate routes while "water tankers are trying to get through." The office warned that extra traffic slows down emergency response and creates avoidable risks for firefighters and the public, according to the Grant County Sheriff's Office.
Mutual aid and investigation
Responding agencies included Marion Health, Grant County EMS, Grant County Central Dispatch and several nearby fire departments. The cause of the blaze has not yet been determined and remains under investigation, according to WTHR.
What residents should know
Authorities continue to ask motorists to give emergency crews plenty of room to work and to follow posted detours until roads around the campus are fully cleared. Officials are expected to release more details about the incident and any longer term impacts on campus operations, and this story will be updated as that information becomes available, per reporting from WRTV.
