Two men were killed and three others were injured in an apartment fire on Indianapolis' south side early Friday morning.
The fire began just before 5:30 a.m. in a building at Crestwood Village South, an apartment complex that houses residents age 55 and older, in the 8000 block of Madison Avenue, just north of County Line Road.
The men who died lived in the same apartment. A woman who lives across the hall from the men was taken to Wishard Memorial Hospital in serious condition, 6News' Julie Pursley reported. Two more people suffered injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening.
Some people were rescued from balconies and others were found by firefighters who were going through the inside of Building 6, Wing B, where the blaze began. Most of the damage was confined to two third-floor apartments in the building, which has about 100 units.
Firefighters from Perry Township, Franklin Township, Indianapolis and Greenwood battled the blaze, which primarily affected the southeastern corner of the building.
Investigators were not immediately sure what caused the fire, but said it was extinguished within about 90 minutes.
Several people were able to get out safely in the lobby of another building in the complex as residents knocked on doors to awaken residents before firefighters arrived.
One of the victims was identified as Donald Osborne, 74. His girlfriend, Lorraine Milewski, spoke with 6News shortly after the fire began.
"I saw the smoke coming out and they took my boyfriend to the hospital," Milewski said. "He was unconscious. He inhaled a lot of smoke."
According to Osborne's daughter, Holly Morelock, he had lived at Crestwood Village for about seven years and had a lot of friends.
"He was a minister for 23 years. He would give you anything," Morelock said.
Investigators said about 90 residents were displaced by the blaze. Firefighters and apartment managers worked to take care of the displaced residents as best they could.
"They brought over the medication I needed to have," said Mike Bossingham. "There was no way of doing without it. I really appreciated that."
