Fire Kills Four In Overcrowded Indiana House
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MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. — A fire killed four people early yesterday in a two-story house where about a dozen people lived in makeshift rooms, some of them bedding down in closets, the state fire marshal said.
Witnesses reported seeing people fleeing the property before officials arrived, Fire Marshal Roger Johnson said. The residents didn’t return, he said.
“We don’t know why they left, why they did not want to stay, and why they did not want to address any questions we may have,” Mr. Johnson said.
Immigration officials had been to the scene, Deputy Fire Chief Chuck Greis said. Neighbors told the Associated Press that they believed most residents in house were Asian immigrants who worked at a local Chinese restaurant.
Mattresses were found inside closets, and some makeshift rooms were built, with spots for about 12 to 15 people to sleep, he said.
A neighbor, Holly Hanrath, said the house had been up for sale and that she and her husband, Frank, had been inside about two weeks ago.
She said it had been subdivided into rooms with plywood sheeting and that mattresses were on the kitchen floor. The couple said the wiring and plumbing were old and they could smell gas near the stove.
