Investigators worked the fire scene in the blocks of 25th and Adams and 25th and Washington on Wednesday.

Investigators probing 15 building fires in Gary

Contributed By:The 411 News

Ted Brown, a photographer for The 411 and Gary Crusader was in the kitchen fixing a late night meal Saturday, May 1 when he heard a call on his police scanner for a fire in Glen Park. Brown said the time was almost 11pm.

By 11:45pm he was out of the house taking a video of a blaze at 25th and Washington, in the city's Midtown section. Brown had also heard Lake County's 911 Emergency Dispatch system reporting fires on the city's eastside near 21st Avenue and in the downtown Emerson area near Rhode Island Street.

At Tuesday's press conference at the Gary Public Safety Facility, Gary Fire Chief Sean O'Donnell said 15 structures were set on fire Saturday night. The first call came in at 10:45pm and all were contained by 3am with help from surrounding communities’ firefighters.

O'Donnell said the city had seen a similar series of fires on April 21, involving 7 buildings. All of the structures on April 21 and May 1 were vacant. Mayor Jerome Prince said they were all slated for demolition.

So far, fire officials are calling the fires "suspicious," not arson. "Each fire is being treated as a separate incident," O'Donnell said. "I know people might want to connect the dots, but this isn't a movie or television show. It will take time."

Gary Police Chief Brian Evans said his department, state fire officials and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms have joined the investigation with the Gary Fire Dept. ATF agent Brandon Ivers said his agency has certified fire investigators.

Fire investigators worked the fire scene in the blocks of 25th and Adams and 25th and Washington on Wednesday. Six buildings were involved. Investigators determined the house leveled to the ground was where the fire began. From that origin, the fire spread to 2 houses to the north and 1 house to the south. It was a windy night, and sparks spread to a house on the west side of Adams and to a house to the east on Washington Street.

Gary has a history of these unexplained arson fires. Most notably in 1997, when Memorial Auditorium, on Massachusetts Street, burned. Flames spread to nearby structures along Broadway and next spread to City Methodist Church on Washington Street.

Gary resident Jim Nowacki described it as “domestic terrorism. This, to me, in a city where buildings are burning is terrorizing people.”

Mayor Prince said no residents had to be evacuated.

Story Posted:05/06/2021