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Woman saves neighbors during blaze at NW Indiana mobile home park: 'I got them all out'

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Published  October 12, 2024 9:33pm CDT
Gary
FOX 32 Chicago

Woman rescues neighbors from devastating fire in NW Indiana

An early morning fire in Gary, Indiana, destroyed several trailers and displaced dozens of residents.

The Brief 

    • An early morning fire in Gary, Indiana, destroyed several trailers and displaced dozens of residents.
    • Amanda Stoddard is being praised for saving her neighbors by alerting them to the rapidly-spreading fire.
    • The fire destroyed four trailers and two cars before being extinguished, with the Red Cross assisting displaced families.

GARY, Ind. - An early morning fire in Northwest Indiana left dozens without homes on Saturday.

One resident, Amanda Stoddard, is being hailed as a hero after alerting her neighbors to the danger.

Amid the ashes, Stoddard sifted through the remnants, searching for fragments to rebuild her life after the fire claimed everything.

"The flames were coming through my window, in my living room and in my front bedroom," Stoddard said. 

The fire occurred in the 1900 block of West Ridge Road in Gary, Ind., before 6:30 a.m.

Stoddard woke to flames and had to make a split-second decision.

"The trailer next door to me was fully engulfed, and the only thing I knew to do was to get everybody out because they go so fast. So I did. I woke up every neighbor, the whole trailer park really, and got them all out in time," she said. 

Stoddard sprang into action, saving her neighbor John Denomie and his dog. 

"Not only did she save my life, but she saved my dog's life and my dog went through a hard life. He was a rescue," said Denomie. 

He suffers from a hearing disability. 

"Amanda kicked my door in and because I'm, I'm hearing impaired. Can't hear when people are knocking on my door. She kicked my door in as the trailer next to me, the flames were getting closer and closer to my trailer," said Denomie.

The fire raced through the mobile home park, destroying three trailers and a car before the Lake Ridge and Gary fire departments arrived.

The trailer park owner, John Petrassi, tried to battle the flames himself.

"I came out in my boxers, no shoes and ran down the street. Tried to put the fire out with that hose right there. The hose melted," said John Petrassi.

An hour and a half later, the fire was out, but the damage was already done. Four trailers and two cars were destroyed. 

The American Red Cross stepped in to support the four displaced families as they grapple with what comes next.

Amid the uncertainty, one feeling prevails: gratitude. 

"The outpouring is just something else. Everybody's doing what they can to help people. So, you know, as far as that goes, yeah, I'm grateful that I'm still standing here talking to you," said Denomie.

The Gary Fire Department is investigating the cause of the blaze.