A Crown Point apartment building is uninhabitable after an early Sunday morning fire ravaged its roof.
The Crown Point Fire Department was called around 3:24 a.m. December 8 to the 900 block of Cypress Point Drive for a fire, according to a news release sent out by the City of Crown Point. Crews arrived on the scene to find a fire that extended to the roof, so, officers started alerting neighbors to evacuate.
None of the residents in the building when the fire broke out were injured, although a dog did die, according to the release. While it’s unclear how many units were occupied in the building, all 36 units were affected because of the roof damage and power getting cut off; as such, the property manager has coordinated with the American Red Cross to get the residents temporary accommodations, CPFD Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Cusack told the Post-Tribune Sunday.
Jennifer Pintsak, who lives in a building next door, said she was woken up around 2:15 a.m. to a loud crackling sound. She first thought it sounded like ice hitting the windows but realized the weather was too warm for that.
She then noticed a bright orange glow coming from around her closed blinds, she said. She opened them to witness complete chaos.
“My first instinct was to grab my coat and shoes, and I went outside. There were flames just shooting everywhere, and it felt like a movie,” Pintsak said. “At that point, cops were breaking windows to get people out, and fire trucks kept coming.”
Residents in the burning building milled around outside in their sleep clothes with no shoes or socks — several holding on to pets — while first responders did “an incredible job” of making sure everyone was safe, she said. All of them, too, were in shock.
“A couple hours after, I went over to my parents’ house because I needed to be around family. I can’t even imagine what everyone is going through, especially now around the holidays,” Pintsak said. “God was with them getting them out, so hold on to your loved ones tight.”
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Four apartments, however, were destroyed, and four additional units have smoke and water damage, according to the release.
Firefighters from multiple departments brought the fire under control in about an hour and cleared the scene by 7:15 a.m., according to the release. No firefighters were injured in the fire.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. Those residents displaced by the fire who haven’t gotten help from the American Red Cross yet are asked to call 1-800-733-2767.
The Crown Point Police Department and Emergency Management Agency, as well as the Merrillville, Cedar Lake, Lowell, Lake Dale, Lake Hills, Hebron, Schererville, Union Township and Boone Grove Fire Departments and Tri-Creek EMS, assisted.
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.