A person is dead after a fire broke out at an apartment building in Greenwood Sunday.
Officials from the Greenwood Fire Department said a fire erupted in an eight-unit apartment building in the 400 block of Clearview Way following a report of an explosion Sunday morning.
The tenant who died lived in the unit where the fire started, officials said. They have not yet been identified. Occupants of six apartments in the same building were evacuated without injury.
The Greenwood Police Department and the Indiana Office of the State Fire Marshal are still investigating the cause of the blaze.
Fire safety: Here’s why decorating for the holidays could be hazardous to your health
How many die in residential fires in Indiana?
In 2023, 84 people died in residential fires in Indiana, according to the state fire marshal’s office. Reports of fires at residences tend to increase during the winter months as people heat their homes more frequently to ward off winter weather.
Tips for safely heating your home
Officials advise against using alternative heating devices such as space heaters and fireplaces, but offer these tips if one has to be used in a home:
-
Keep clothing, curtains, furniture and other items outside of a three-foot perimeter around space heaters.
-
Plug electrical space heaters directly into wall outlets instead of multi-socket power strips. Keep only one heater plugged into an outlet at a time.
-
Never go to sleep with a space heater on, and never leave one turned on in an unoccupied room.
Email IndyStar Housing, Growth and Development Reporter Jordan Smith at JTsmith@gannett.com. Follow him on X: @jordantsmith09
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Apartment fire in Greenwood kills 1, displaces residents in 6 units