House fire on Rural Street resulted in the injuries of two firefighters

Indianapolis, Indiana – According to the Indianapolis Fire Department, two firefighters sustained injuries early on Tuesday morning that occurred when they were battling a house fire on the near east side of the city.

Crews were dispatched to the 200 block of Rural Street, just north of Washington Street, in response to a fire that broke out in a property that was boarded up and empty at approximately 3:30 in the morning.

According to the Integrated Fire Department (IFD), a firefighter who fell through the second-story floor was transported to the hospital for evaluation.

Rita Reith, the Battalion Chief of the Indianapolis Fire Department, stated that the occurrence took place within four minutes of her arrival at the scene.

“A female firefighter…fell through the floor after burned-through joists and flooring on the second floor gave way. Her officer, on the attack line with her, leaned into the hole, grabbed her turnout coat, and attempted to pull her back up. Another firefighter assisted. With one hand still holding the firefighter, the officer used his other hand to activate the MAYDAY protoctol over the radio,” Reith said in a release.

According to Reith, a Mayday has the potential to be issued whenever a fireman is injured, trapped, missing, or cannot be located.

In less than a minute, additional firefighters entered the residence and located the female fireman on the first floor of the building. Together, they assisted her in standing up and then accompanied her as they left the house.

The firefighter was described as “shaken but okay” and was sent to IU Health Methodist Hospital for further evaluation for further treatment.

As a precautionary measure, a second firefighter sustained a minor injury and was sent to Eskenazi Health and Medical Center.

Despite the fact that the residence had been abandoned and the origin of the fire is unknown, the Indianapolis Fire Department (IFD) reports that neighbors saw squatters entering and exiting the boarded-up building.