FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) – The Fort Wayne Fire Department (FWFD) says no injuries were reported in a large fire on Tuesday afternoon east of downtown.
The fire was called out around 2:15 p.m. at a building at 2613 E Washington Boulevard, near OmniSource.
FWFD Assistant Fire Chief Jonathan Flickinger says the building was being used for storage, possibly for vehicles, but does not yet know who owns the building. He says the department believes the facility is being rented or leased out.
No injuries were reported, Flickinger says.
He noted that the fire may take a while to fully extinguish as crews are bringing in excavation equipment to clear paths so they can find and put out deep-seated fires in the building.
A Public Safety Alert (PSA) sent just after 3 p.m. asked residents to avoid the area, in either direction between 2400 and 2800 E Washington Blvd., because of the fire. Flickinger said there is no safety concern with air quality, as they don’t believe any hazardous materials were involved.
At 4:15 p.m., a second PSA said E Washington Boulevard is now shut down between S Anthony and N Coliseum Boulevards.
At 6:42 p.m., we learned from FWFD officials that three people were able to safely self-evacuate the building before the arrival of fire crews. They say most of the storage building was destroyed, but surrounding buildings sustained no damage.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Video from 21Alive News crews at the scene captured the moment the last standing part of the building collapsed.
A large plume of smoke could be seen from miles away, captured by the 21Alive News sky camera.
FWFD responding to large fire east of downtown Fort Wayne(staff)
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