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Excessive clutter delays search for victim in deadly Indianapolis house fire

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Posted at 6:27 AM, Mar 12, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-12 15:11:33-04

INDIANAPOLIS — Firefighters found a man dead inside a home on Indianapolis' south side while battling a fire early Tuesday morning.

Crews were called to the home in the 2800 block of Illinois Street just after midnight. Rita Reith, Battalion Chief with the Indianapolis Fire Department said crews found heavy smoke coming from the home when they arrived. She said excessive debris inside the home delayed their search as they tried to make access.

"Three feet of debris and excessive clutter throughout the entire structure made access to the interior of the structure and search difficult for arriving crews," Reith said.

Reith says firefighters eventually located 62-year-old George Arndt inside the home. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Tuesday's fatality was the fourth in the Indianapolis Fire Service District for 2019.

READ | Man killed in house fire on Indy's southeast side | One person found dead after fire on Indy's southwest side | IFD: Deadly fire possibly caused by smoking near oxygen tank