5-year-old slept as apartment burned around him, Indiana officials say
A 5-year-old boy was rescued in Indiana after police say he slept through an apartment building fire.
An Indianapolis woman woke up to find her apartment filled with heavy black smoke, according to a July 12 news release from the Indianapolis Fire Department.
The woman couldn’t get to her 5-year-old son and panicked, officials said. She evacuated the apartment and called 911.
When firefighters arrived, they found a fire in the three-story building and smoke and made “an aggressive attack,” officials said.
As some firefighters worked to put the fire out, others searched for the boy.
He was found asleep in his bedroom with the door closed, according to officials.
“The closed door kept the heavy black, toxic smoke from entering the bedroom thereby allowing the boy from sustaining any injury or much worse becoming a fatality,” firefighters said.
According to the Fire Safety Research Institute, the “Close Before you Doze” initiative can help save lives.
“Another real life example of the power of a closed door during a fire. Whether before you sleep, on your way out, or when you can’t escape, close the door,” the institute said in a Facebook post.
The boy was taken to a hospital to get checked out.
This story was originally published July 13, 2025 at 12:23 PM with the headline "5-year-old slept as apartment burned around him, Indiana officials say."
