(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — After a fire in a Merrillville, Ind., apartment complex displaced a dozen families on Saturday, northwest Indiana officials said the subzero temperatures have made it very challenging to determine the cause of the fire.
Crews spent hours working to put out the fire in the Meadowlane Apartments, which started at about 2 p.m. on Saturday.
Merrillville Ward 2 Councilwoman Shauna Haynes-Edwards said the fire department told her the fire started in the basement, an area that's difficult to examine in the current cold conditions.
"The first floor and basement are completely covered in water; the freezing temperatures have frozen that area. We're going to have to wait until they're able to get that water defrosted and then they'll be able to go back in and find out the cause of the fire."
She said only one person was injured in the fire from inhaling smoke, but residents — some of whom were still wearing their pajamas — had no choice but to brave the cold. Haynes-Edwards told CBS 2 Chicago that her "heart goes out to them."
"It's a tragedy to see families being displaced, especially when it is a cold winter night, and the temperatures are going to drop even more tonight," she said.
Displaced families are staying at the Dean and Barbara White Community White Center in Merrillville, where the Red Cross is working to get them essentials, such as medication, toiletries and warm clothes.
As of Sunday morning, the cold snap hitting the region was expected to keep temperatures below zero through Wednesday.
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