Anna Ortiz, The Times
GARY — Swaths of land on either side of Interstate 80 in Gary are scorched black with some smoke still hanging in the air following the massive brush fire on Wednesday.
There were no injuries among civilians or first responders, Gary Fire Department Chief Sean O’Donnell confirmed. In addition, horses in a stable near the fire have been reported as being safe and with their owner.
Some structures burned, such as vehicles and a shed, but no occupied homes were affected and those who were evacuated returned to their homes the same night.
O’Donnell said the cause of the fire still remains under investigation as crews survey the damage and speak with witnesses. It is unknown when the investigation will come to a close.
The chief cautioned that with it being dry season and with layers of leaves blanketing the ground, the risk for brush fires is high.
“People should be careful,” O’Donnell said. “If someone is doing any type of burning, make sure it’s contained and never leave anything unattended.”
“Everyone did great work out there and it could have had a worse outcome,” O’Donnell said.
He said there was a minor flare up at the scene Thursday morning but it was quickly extinguished.
Several residences were evacuated around 1:45 p.m. Wednesday as the fire began spreading in the area of 25th Avenue and Grant Street, Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez said.
The fire burned on both sides of I-80 at the north and south sides of the roadway and was moving west, said Indiana State Police Cpl. Eric Rot.
Firefighters from Gary, Griffith, Portage, Hobart, Merrillville, Munster, Highland, Burns Harbor, Chesterton, Lake Hills, Lake Ridge, Lake Station and New Chicago converged on the scene.
Battling against high winds that fanned the flames and thick smoke, firefighters worked together to quell the fire’s spread. The Lake County Aviation Unit dropped 34 loads of water that totaled 7,140 gallons.
Rot said troopers were first notified of the fire in the area of Chase Street in Gary, where two westbound lanes of I-80 were shut down near the 8-mile marker.
“我真的想直升机飞行员和赞美crew members for a magnificent job putting themselves in danger, making the water drops and dense smoke and also making the dangerous hover over water to refill the bucket,” Martinez said. “It is a great resource not just for the sheriff’s department but for all of Northwest Indiana, including Illinois.”
Residents in a nearby subdivision said they did not see what may have caused the flames but added they saw multiple fires break out along a nearby field.
Units from the Porter County Sheriff’s Office and the Lake County Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency also responded.
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