Five People Injured When IN House Explodes

Five people were hurt early Friday when a home exploded on the west side of Indianapolis.

According to officials from the Wayne Township Fire Department, the explosion and subsequent fire happened around 8:15 a.m. in the 500 block of North Rybolt Avenue.

Public Information Officer Capt. Eric Banister said crews were initially called out on a fully involved fire, but multiple residents quickly called back and reported an explosion that shook the neighborhood.

"The residence had evidence of a possible explosion. All four walls were out, laying on the side and the house was completely on fire," he said. "Between the patients and fire, the crews were really busy but everybody performed admirably and did an amazing job."

Banister said four people were hospitalized, but information about the severity of their injuries was not available. A fifth person at the scene refused medical treatment.

One firefighter also suffered a minor injury while battling the blaze, Banister said. That firefighters was treated at the scene.

He added that after bringing the fire under control in about 15 minutes, checking the remains of the home for other potential explosion threats became a top priority.

Crews from Citizens Energy were called in to assist, and soon the neighborhood was filled with fire engines and utility trucks that closed North Rybolt at West Michigan Street.

One cat was recovered from the home and taken to Indianapolis Animal Care Services. Another cat that was unaccounted for during the initial run crawled from the charred debris around 11 a.m. as neighbors congregated and shared information with one another.

One neighbor, Michelle Johnston, saw the cat and responded by giving a can of cat food to a worker from Citizens Energy who was able to feed, and pet, the surviving animal.

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