BEDFORD - MARCH 7, 2023 - The cause of the warehouse fire in the 3100 block of 5th Street is still under investigation according to Bedford Fire Chief John Hughes. The building located behind the Guthrie Butcher Shop.
The building was used to store home furnishings.
The Bedford Fire Department received a report of the fire at 4:09 pm on Monday and arrived within three minutes of the call to find the front part of the building fully involved.
Firefighters did not leave the scene until 11:44 pm Monday night.
Photo: Bedford Firefighters remained on the scene until 11:44 pm Monday night before they was able to return to their fire stations
" This was a defensive fire attack from the very beginning," said Fire Chief Hughes. A defensive attack is where all fire operations are on the outside of the fire, with no attempts to go inside the structure that is on fire.
All three shifts of the Bedford Fire Department, with 33 firefighters and all the departments fire equipment responded to the fire. The U.S. Forestry Service responded to the scene to check the wood lines for fires. The U.S. Forestry Service personnel did find a few spot fires that had to be put out.
The fire hydrant in the area was able to support the departments ladder truck that was positioned to protect the Guthrie Creek Butcher Shop and other nearby buildings from catching fire. The ladder truck then used to put water on the remaining parts of the fire throughout the evening.
Fire engines did shuttle water in from other nearby fire hydrants during the course of fighting the fire. There was no air quality monitoring of the fire, despite the large column of smoke that could be seen for several miles.
Bedford Police Department responded to the scene to keep traffic away from the fire scene, closing Indiana State Road 58 ( Fifth Street) at Belback Road and X Street for several hours while the fire department had lines stretched across the highway. Bedford Street Department placed barricades on Belback Road at John Williams Blvd, Indiana State Road 58 at X street and Belback Road.
There was no injuries reported while fighting the fire.
Bedford Fire Department, Bedford Police Department, IU Lifeline Ambulance sent two ambulances, Bedford Street Department and U.S. Forestry Service responded to the scene.
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