Fire engulfs north side apartment construction site

INDIANAPOLIS -

A large fire engulfed an apartment building under construction on the near north side Friday night.

The fire broke out around 9 p.m. on the northeast corner of East 16th Street and Broadway. Large flames could be seen from a camera atop the television tower in front of the WTHR studios. Smoke from the fire could be seen from several counties around Indianapolis, viewers reported.

The fire destroyed two apartment buildings under construction.

"We have a four-story wood frame structure, actually two of them, in that location," said Joe Langybartels, a manager on the construction project who was at the scene.

Langybartelstold Eyewitness News he didn't believe there was anything on the construction site that could have caused the fire.

"Not right off hand, no, 'cause everything...all the sprinkler system's poly, the drain lines are poly, the wires were being pulled, there's no power," he said.

Neighbors say the fire started small, then suddenly took off.

"I dialed 911, I said, 'It's a fire!'," said Regina Morris. "Next thing you know, all of them just went to blaze. I'm on the phone with 911, I'm telling them, 'They need to get here! Y'all need to get here!' They said, 'Where you at ma'am?' I said, 'I'm at 16th and Park.' I said 'It's a small fire.' Next thing you know, everything is popping and it went to blaze."

Construction materials across the street also ignited and a nearby church reportedly caught fire as well. Propane tanks at the scene also were seen exploding.

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Fire engulfs north side apartment construction site