Photo by Gary Nieter, Times-Union-
An estimated $16,000 in damage resulted from a 3:18 p.m. fire Sunday at an apartment house at the corner of Winona and Maple avenues in Warsaw. Officials were alerted to the fire by one of the occupants of the five-unit building. The fire was in Apt. C, which is occupied by Hunter Puckett. It is believed a portable space heater caught fire and the fire spread to a chair. Smoke damage was reported throughout the structure and Warsaw Fire Department Inspector Michael Wilson said NIPSCO shut off power to the building until the city's building inspector can verify that the rental structure meets city codes. The fire was extinguished in about 10 minutes and firefighters were on the scene for about an hour clearing the structure of smoke. Wilson said portable space heaters should be unplugged when not in use and should be kept at least 3 feet from combustible products when in use. No injuries were reported. Pictured is WFD assistant chief Jon Swoverland giving instructions to firefighters before they enter the building. Also pictured is Warsaw Police Department Cpl. Steve Rockey. Photo by Gary Nieter, Times-Union
