Strong winds and a lack of nearby fire hydrants hampered firefighters Tuesday as a brush fire spread over 27 acres near 15th Avenue and Clay Street in the Aetna section of Gary near Lake Station.
A Gary firefighter suffered heat stress and exhaustion and was taken to Methodist Hospitals’ Northlake campus. A press release said he was in stable condition.
Firefighters arrived at the scene at about 11:40 a.m., just west of the Gary Sanitary District’s lift station. Winds out of the south and southeast gusted at 25 mph, officials said.
The fire jumped 15th Place, impacting the Northern Indiana Public Service Co. high tension towers and lines, and heavy smoke conditions affected the nearby Indiana Toll Road. Officials said embers also aided the spread of the fire to the sand dunes behind the vacant Aetna Elementary School.
Gary units received mutual aid from the National Park Service, Lake Station and New Chicago fire departments and the Lake County Sheriff’s aviation unit that provided water drops.
The crews included six engine companies, three brush companies and one tanker.
Water was shuttled to the scene, as the closest hydrants were 2,000 to 3,000 feet from the fire, officials said.
Efforts to extinguish the fire were slowed by abandoned vehicles and piles of old tires burning. Firefighters got the fire under control about 3:30 p.m.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Officials said there may be several smoldering logs and other pieces of debris emitting light smoke for the next few days. NIPSCO utility crews will be in the area working to restore electrical power.
Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
