Portage House Fire Delayed by Storm, Many Without Power

Getting to a fatal house fire Tuesday afternoon took longer due to severe road conditions following violent storms, as stated by Portage Fire Chief Chris Crail.

Impact of Storm

Crail shared that the storm led to significant obstacles. “Everything was breaking free” when the fire call came, he revealed during a Tuesday evening news conference. The storm also resulted in extensive power outages, with NIPSCO reporting approximately 288,000 customers without electricity.

“It was quite delayed for us to get there because of the amount of trees and power lines that were downed,” Crail noted.

Challenges for First Responders

Police Chief Michael Candiano highlighted that residents traveling around the city added to the delays. “It seems like it was busier than a Saturday afternoon,” he explained, making navigation difficult.

A significant number of power lines were downed, and main streets were blocked by fallen trees. Officers had to park a mile away and approach the fire on foot. The house was fully involved when they arrived. Public Information Officer Rob Maynard confirmed that the call for the house fire came in at 12:20 p.m.

First responders relied on help from street and sanitation crews to clear roads and reach other emergencies. The victim’s identity has not been publicly released. State fire investigators are still working to determine the cause, with many speculating an explosion.

Disaster Response and Shelter

The Indiana Department of Homeland Security has introduced a web portal to collect data for potential disaster declarations by Governor Mike Braun and President Donald Trump. The city is under a state of emergency declared by Mayor Austin Bonta. Two shelters have been set up at the Bonner Senior Center and the Northwest Health facility on Willowcreek Road. Bonta encouraged those who can safely stay in their homes to do so.

The Bonner Senior Center is open to those on oxygen, with Trustee Brendan Clancy mentioning that only service animals are allowed.

Support and Recovery Efforts

Candiano acknowledged Portage Township Schools for enabling emergency vehicles to refuel at the school district’s pumps, as gas stations were shut due to the power outage.

“I think we can pretty much get to most places at this point,” Candiano mentioned. “A lot of our smaller streets are still completely down. Power lines are still down. We’ll get there.”

No officers sustained injuries despite the hazardous weather conditions. “I think we were pretty fortunate,” Candiano said, noting that officers remained active during the crisis. “It’s been a wild summer now, this whole region,” he concluded.

Reporter Doug Ross contributed to this information for the Post-Tribune.