Source: Indianapolis Fire Department / IFD Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS — Dozens of Hoosier veterans lost their home Saturday night when a fire broke out at the Colonel Donald W Moreau, Sr. Veterans Community Center in downtown Indianapolis.
The community center, operated by Helping Veterans and Families (HVAF), caught fire sometime around 9:30 p.m., which is when the general fire alarm alerted fire crews. Thirty-five Indianapolis Fire Department units were called in to handle the fire coming out of the two-story building.
The building was fully occupied as it serves as a temporary housing unit for homeless veterans.
An evacuation procedure began and IFD set-up a perimeter just in case the building collapsed.
The fire was fully under control by 1 a.m. Sunday, about three-and-a-half hours after the fire began.
All fire alarms were working.
Fifty-one veterans were displaced, with most being put up in nearby hotels. Thirty-nine units were a complete loss. Three people were sent to Eskenazi Hospital with slight injuries.