Authorities in Gary, Indiana, were investigating a massive fire that broke out late Saturday at an abandoned school building.
The fire was reported at around 9:45 p.m. Saturday at the former Emerson High School, 716 E. 7th Ave. Firefighters arrived at the scene within three minutes of the initial call and found heavy fire conditions in the roof and attic space above the third floor rapidly spreading, the Gary Fire Department said in a news release.
According to authorities, efforts to extinguish the blaze were hampered by concrete blockades that prevented access to the rear of the structure. Once heavy equipment was brought in to remove the blockades, firefighters used an elevated stream to put out flames that hadn't been accessible.
The fire was contained within several hours and mostly extinguished by 3 a.m., according to fire officials. Saturday's fire is the second at the site in six months; a separate one occurred in June.
The building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, served as a school until 2008 and was then purchased by the Gary Housing Authority in 2020. In recent years, it has been the location of multiple crimes, according to the Times of Northwest Indiana newspaper.
In July, four individuals were taken into custody by police following reports of gunshots, according to the newspaper.
First constructed in 2019, the building was the first high school in Gary, according to Ball State University's Digital Civil Rights Museum.
"...This building contains so much history to so many of us in Gary," Mark Terry, Gary Fire Chief, said in the news release. "I have many fond memories here having attended many events when my son was a student here. "The birthplace of our modern educational system was started right here, and this school was the first school in the country to have a swimming pool. There have been so many famous alumni that roamed these halls."
An investigation to determine the cause of the fire was underway by the Gary Fire Department and Indiana State Fire Marshal on Sunday.
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