INDIANAPOLIS – The walls of a commercial building on Indy’s near east side are barely standing after a massive fire destroyed two businesses Monday night.
One of the owners said he’s unsure what to do next because the fire took his home too.
“Basically, you see all your future gone,” said Ramon Rodriguez.
Rodriguez and his two nephews were having dinner that night when he noticed a bright flash near an oil heater. He ran downstairs from his apartment to his auto shop with a fire extinguisher but said the flames took over within seconds.
Still upstairs were his dog and five puppies. By the time Rodriguez realized he couldn’t contain the fire alone, it had spread too far and he needed to evacuate. In addition to tragically losing six pets, he lost his livelihood: El Palomar Auto Body Repair.
“It’s devastating because I’m not the only one affected,” Rodriguez said. “There’s other people that work here. Basically, now everybody’s out of work.”
Trying to keep warm, they filled a heater with oil that had mistakenly been mixed with gasoline, according to Indianapolis Fire Department officials.
“We have a lot of people using heaters across the city. Just make sure it is the appropriate mixture of whatever it is that is the manufacturer’s recommendations,” said IFD Battalion Chief Rita Reith on the night of the fire.
The blaze grew so large that drivers on I-70 started calling 911 too. The building also housed a countertop company called Granite Customs. The owner told us they’re “still in the process of figuring out how [we] will be moving forward.”
Meanwhile, Rodriguez said he won’t be giving up on his dream.
“I’m 54 years old. Been working my whole life. Within seconds, it’s gone,” Rodriguez said. “Start all over. That’s all you can do.”
Rodriguez said two of his cats did make it out of the building safely. No people were injured in the fire. Investigators have confirmed the cause was “accidental.”
“All I can say to people is love your family. Make sure you say good night and I love you because you never know what’s going to happen the next day,” Rodriguez added.
