A major fire broke out at an apartment building under construction in Whitestown, Indiana, on Thursday night, prompting a response from local firefighters and mutual aid crews.
The Whitestown Fire Department said crews were dispatched to Windmark Court on September 17 after receiving reports of a working apartment fire. Officials asked residents and others to stay away from the area so emergency vehicles could move freely and firefighters could carry out their operations.
The fire department did not immediately provide details about what caused the blaze or whether anyone was injured.
Videos and images shared online showed a large fire at the construction site, with emergency crews responding to the incident. The scale of the flames drew attention from local residents, many of whom reported hearing loud thunder during the evening.
One resident said her husband had seen lightning and heard what he described as a nearby loud crack of thunder at around 10:45 pm. An independent journalist from Indiana also shared footage of the fire and said it followed a possible lightning strike at an apartment complex near the Walker Farms entrance.
Other residents also mentioned heavy thunder and storm activity in the area that evening.
However, authorities had not confirmed whether lightning or the weather was responsible for starting the fire. The exact cause remained under investigation.
The Whitestown Fire Department urged people to avoid Windmark Court while firefighters worked at the scene. Officials said keeping surrounding roads clear was important to allow fire engines and other emergency vehicles to reach the property safely.
Mutual aid departments were also called in to support Whitestown firefighters. Such assistance is typically requested during larger incidents when additional personnel, equipment or emergency resources are needed.
The incident also generated discussion on social media, with residents sharing updates about the fire and thanking firefighters for their efforts. Some users raised concerns about interactions between civilians and law enforcement officers at the scene, although those claims were not part of the fire department’s official account of the incident.
As of the latest update, officials had not released a confirmed cause of the fire or detailed information about the extent of the damage. Authorities are expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the blaze once emergency operations are complete.
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