INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Fire Department is investigating a house fire that injured two firefighters Tuesday morning.
IFD responded to a report of a residence fire in 200 block of Rural near New York Street just before 3:30 a.m. Tuesday. Firefighters arrived to find a boarded-up, two-story vacant house with flames showing from the second floor.
Fire crews aggressively attacked the fire from the inside and made their way to the second floor.
A female firefighter fell through the second floor down to the first floor, but she was able to walk out and was transported to IU Health Methodist Hospital with a slight injury.
A second male firefighter was also slightly injured, but was not transported to the hospital and was checked out on scene.
Crews invoked Mayday protocol while battling the flames.
“That signals to everyone on scene that they have a firefighter in trouble and needs assistance, they can activate a Mayday response and other firefighters into assist that firefighter out,” said Battalion Chief Rita Reith.
“It’s not something we use very often, only because it is a very serious call and when firefighters hear that come over the radio, [it] is a completely different mindset in how we are going to respond, how are we going to get this person out,” Reith said.
Firefighters were able to get the fire under control within 15 minutes.
