Gary fire: Massive flames rip through former Emerson High School in northwest Indiana

GARY, Ind. - A massive fire broke out at a historic high school in northwest Indiana on Saturday night.

Around 9:45 p.m., the Gary Fire Department responded to Emerson High School, located at 716 E. 7th Ave. Merrillville and Munster fire departments also responded to the scene due to the heavy blaze.

When officials arrived at the scene, they found heavy fire conditions spreading through the roof and attic space above the third floor. Firefighters began attacking the blaze from the outside and above using tower ladders. Efforts to contain the fire were hampered due to concrete barricades blocking access to the rear of the building, according to fire officials.

Heavy equipment was brought to the scene to remove those concrete barriers. Crews then attacked the fire from the rear of the building. The blaze was put out by 3 a.m. on Sunday.

"I was saddened when I arrived on the scene to see such devastating damage to Emerson. This building contains so much history to so many of us in Gary. I have many fond memories here having attended many events when my son was a student here," said Mark Terry, Gary Fire Chief. "The birthplace of our modern educational system was started right here, and this school was the first school in the country to have a swimming pool. There have been so many famous alumni that roamed these halls."

The cause of the fire is not yet known. No injuries were reported.

Emerson High School was considered uninhabitable before the fire. It was built in 1908 and closed in 2008 when the Emerson School for Visual and Performing Arts was relocated into the former Kennedy King Middle School building. The Gary Housing Authority took control of the property in Dec. 2020, officials said. There were no active utility connections to the building.