CARMEL, Ind. – Multiple units responded to a deadly early morning fire at a Carmel strip mall.
According to the Carmel Fire Department, crews were dispatched around 3:20 a.m. to the 9800 block of North Michigan Road.
Emergency responders encountered heavy fire when they arrived and said they saw a person in the street calling for help, according to Tim Griffin with the Carmel Fire Department.
Police had initially been called to the area for a welfare check.
Crews worked on fire suppression units outside, while some personnel went inside the building to search. They found a man dead inside the building. The woman initially encountered at the scene had been severely burned.
The building houses Jacquie's Cafe and Sunny's Place.
Griffin said the fire started in a kitchen. Workers had arrived for morning prep when they noticed smoke and fire.
Crews had the fire under control by around 4:10 a.m. and were dealing with hot spots. They noted a partial collapse of the front of the building.
Griffin said Zionsville and Pike Township were among assisting agencies at the scene. A Carmel firefighter suffered what he characterized as a minor injury during the incident.
Michigan Road was closed in both directions nearby; Griffin anticipated the road would remain that way for “some time” between 96th and 99th streets. Drivers should look for alternate routes.
The cause remains under investigation.