(La Porte, IN) - Fire caused significant damage to two housing units last night at the Maple Tree Apartments in La Porte.
La Porte Fire Chief Andy Snyder reported that the fire began after 5 p.m. in a main-level apartment, spreading to the unit directly above it at 1405 West 18th Street.
Per Snyder, residents in the home where the fire started tried putting out the flames before someone from one of the units ran and notified firefighters, who were already on the scene for a medical-related call.
He felt having a fire truck already on the scene kept from the fire from possibly spreading into the other units.
“In the case of fire, time is everything,” he said.
Snyder said damage was substantial to both units, which will be uninhabitable for quite some time until repairs can be completed. The rest of the building, containing about a dozen or so apartments, was evacuated but those residents were allowed to return to their homes after the fire was extinguished.
The fire started in a bedroom, possibly from a child playing with a cigarette lighter, but an official ruling has not yet been made.
“That is a possibility right now. It’s still an open investigation at this time,” he said.
