IFD: Fire at vacant residence on near east side of Indianapolis may have been caused by squatters

INDIANAPOLIS — A fire broke out a vacant residence on the near east side of Indianapolis early Sunday morning.

In a Facebook post, the Indianapolis Fire Department reported that its crews responded to an unoccupied double residence in the 2900 block of East Michigan Street around 2:30 a.m. When firefighters arrived at the scene, they found heavy fire emanating from the structure.

Photos courtesy of the Indianapolis Fire Department.

In the post, IFD indicated that its crews got the fire under control in 15 minutes. The department also reported that no civilians or firefighters were injured by the blaze.

Neighbors in the area told investigators that they saw squatters inside the vacant residence shortly before the fire started. According to IFD, officials are still trying to determine the exact cause of the fire.