A massive fire Monday night caused $150,000 in damage to a Bargersville condo building.
No one was injured in the fire which started about 9:15 p.m. in the 2900 block of Beckenham Way, said Mike Pruitt, deputy chief of the Bargersville Fire Department.
The owner of the condo, who lives alone, accidentally lit her bedding on fire while trying to light a candle. The victim and her pet turtle were evacuated safely, and residents of a neighboring condo were also evacuated without injuries, Pruitt said.
The neighboring condo suffered water damage on the wall it shares with the condo that was engulfed, he said.
The condo is a total loss and will need to be entirely rebuilt, Pruitt said.
“For the most part, the home suffered pretty severe damage. We were able to salvage some stuff but the home isn’t livable anymore,” Pruitt said. “The insurance company will take over at this point and decide what they will do with the structure. It will probably be torn down and rebuilt.”
The Greenwood and White River Township fire departments assisted Bargersville firefighters, and the fire was under control within 20 minutes.
About the same time Monday night, a transformer blew nearby, creating the sound of an explosion that many rumored to be associated with the fire. It was not, Pruitt said.
