Ammunition Explodes In Indianapolis House Fire

Indianapolis, IN — Firefighters had to dodge bullets when they responded to a house fire in Indianapolis on Wednesday night.

They arrived on the scene around 10:30 pm local time to see fire coming from the garage and the front of the two-story house. They also heard ammunition exploding in the garage.

WTHR-13 reports that the house’s owner, Nina Gregory, and her three children had already escaped from their burning home. Firefighters were forced to take a defensive approach to the fire because of the bullets firing through the garage.

Once all of the ammunition had detonated, they were able to get the fire under control, but it took 45 minutes. The blaze is expected to cost about $250,000 to fix, according to The Indy Channel.

Neighbor Madeline Taylor recalled how she immediately recognized the gunshots before seeing the house in flames. She stated, “I opened my door and could see them over the top of the house.”

Gregory spoke with the Indianapolis Fire Department, saying that she heard a loud sound from the garage of her home. Her son checked the garage and discovered it was on fire. Along with her three children, Gregory’s two pets also made it to safety. They are planning to stay with family for the time being.

The Indianapolis Fire Department’s Lieutenant Larry Tracy stated that ammunition detonating is not a normal occurrence during a fire. Despite this, he still recommends that homeowners store their ammo in a fireproof safe, just in case. He added, “Try to store it around things that are not combustible.”

[Image via ShutterStock]