(La Porte, IN) - Three people from two separate residences were taken to hospitals following an early Monday morning fire in LaPorte.

 

Just after 3 a.m., firefighters responded to a duplex on fire at 1401 Federal Ave. by Koomler Park on the city’s south side.

LaPorte Fire Chief Andy Snyder said a man and woman in the unit where the fire started were awakened by smoke and managed to escape.  Upon arrival, he said firefighters found both people in the front yard with about half of their living unit engulfed in flames.

 

Snyder said the man semi-unconscious at the time along with the woman were taken by ambulance to Northwest Health hospital in La Porte with smoke inhalation and possible other injuries.  The man was later transported to a hospital in Chicago.

Snyder said he was not sure if the man suffered any burns.

 

A short time later, a man living on the other side of the duplex, who also escaped, complained of trouble breathing and was taken by ambulance with smoke inhalation.

 

“At first, he seemed like he was doing o.k.  After several minutes, it was found he was starting to have trouble breathing so, as a precautionary measure, they called an ambulance back for him,” Snyder said.

 

Snyder said the fire brought under control “fairly quickly” was contained to the heavily damaged unit where the fire started while the other unit sustained smoke damage and maybe a little water damage.

 

There didn’t appear to be any smoke detectors in the home where the fire began, he said.

 

The state fire marshal’s office was brought in to assist with trying to determine the cause of the fire because there were injuries involved.  The names of the injured people were not released.