A firefighter in Charlestown, Indiana, collapsed while battling a duplex fire overnight and was rushed to the hospital, where officials believe the injuries are non-life-threatening. The blaze tore through both units of a duplex on High Street, leaving residents with heavy damage and now leaning on the Red Cross for help as investigators try to pin down what sparked the flames.
The fire broke out just after 11 p.m. at the duplex, and multiple crews converged on the scene to knock it down, according to WLKY. During the firefight, one of the responding firefighters collapsed, prompting an immediate medical response amid the chaos of the active blaze.
Per the outlet's report, the assistant fire chief said the firefighter was taken to UofL Hospital, with his injuries believed to be non-life-threatening. No further details on the firefighter's identity or condition have been released.
Duplex Left With Heavy Damage
Both units of the duplex suffered heavy damage in the fire, the station's report notes, leaving the residents who called it home without a place to stay. Those displaced residents are now receiving assistance from the Red Cross as they figure out next steps.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, per the same account, with no additional information yet released about how the blaze started or spread through the structure.
Charlestown's Recent History With Fire
A house off Pebble Brook Drive near Charlestown State Park was destroyed by a fire that reportedly started in the garage and quickly spread, according to ABC17; the homeowner escaped safely and no one was hurt, though investigators were still trying to figure out how that fire started.
In a more tragic case, an early-morning fire at Windsor II Apartments in the 300 block of Maple Drive killed 57-year-old Jill Whitlatch and displaced three other families, as reported by News and Tribune. The Indiana State Fire Marshal, along with Charlestown's fire and police departments, investigated that blaze and said foul play was not suspected.
For now, the focus in Charlestown remains on the firefighter recovering at UofL Hospital and the displaced duplex residents working with the Red Cross to find stable footing, as investigators continue piecing together how Monday night's fire started.
