Fire Causes $7M Damage to Indiana Airport Hangar

A fire swept through a hangar near Indianapolis International Airport on Nov. 7, causing $7 million dollars in damage to the building and an unknown amount of damage to five planes inside, the fire department said.

The fire was reported about 8:50 a.m. in a 30,000-square-foot building at the former Indianapolis Airport, according to the Indianapolis Fire Department. Five area agencies sent a combined 40 units to help fight the fire, which was under control by early afternoon. There was no immediate word of what caused the blaze.

“It’s just very labor intensive,” department spokeswoman Rita Burris said.

Two workers who were inside the hangar at the time were able to escape, she said. No injuries were reported.

The hangar is owned by the Indianapolis Airport Authority and is leased to ComLux, which used it to maintain and refurbish airplanes. The building is about the size of a football field.

The hangar is near the new Indianapolis International Airport, which opened in November 2008.

Burris said all firefighters entering the building were going through decontamination procedures afterward because of concern about toxic materials. There had been concern about jet fuel, but fire officials learned the planes were drained of fuel before entering the hangar, Burris said.