Mother Drops 6 Children From Third Floor To Escape Fire

INDIANAPOLIS -- A mother dropped her six children from the third floor of an east side apartment building to a group of neighbors waiting below after a fire broke out Monday morning.

One of the children likely started the fire at the Bradford Square Apartments at 6260 E. 11th Street, said Indianapolis Fire Department Capt. Rita Reith.

When firefighters arrived just after 7 a.m., the children's mother was lowering each child out of a third-story window adjacent to one filled with flames, Reith said. The woman was lowering the children, hanging on to their arms, as neighbors waited below to catch them.

"I mean, the fire was big. With no hesitation, they came over and got those kids. Everyone was saved before the fire department got here," said Deisha Johnson.

Firefighters were able to rescue the woman from the window and the fire was brought under control within 10 minutes, Reith said.

The children -- a 23-month-old, two 4-year-olds, an 8-year-old, an 11-year-old and a 13-year-old -- were not injured.

Another person in the apartment complex was transported to Community East Hospital with slight smoke inhalation.

The fire was contained to the one apartment -- which sustained an estimated $75,000 worth of damage -- but a total of six units were damaged by the blaze, Reith said.

All six apartments had smoke detectors, but none had working batteries, investigators said.