80-Year-Old Man, 2 Animals, Die in Indianapolis Mobile Home Fire

The Indianapolis Fire Department said an 80-year-old man and two animals died in a mobile home fire on the city's south side early Monday morning.

INDIANAPOLIS — An 80-year-old man and two animals died in a mobile home fire on the south side of Indianapolis early Monday morning.

According to the Indianapolis Fire Department, the first crew responded to the report of a fire with entrapment at 1:30 a.m. in the 4600 block of Matthews Way.

When firefighters arrived, they found the trailer fully engulfed in flames and then it partially collapsed. IFD Battalion Chief Rita Reith told WIBC that crews couldn’t immediately go into the home because of its condition.

“Firefighters took a defensive posture on it, meaning they weren’t able to enter the motor home right away,” said Reith.

Reith also mentioned that live ammunition was reported to be popping off from inside the trailer.

“Anytime that they have a fire occur in their house and it’s anywhere near that ammunition, it will heat it up to where it actually pops off as if it were coming out of a firearm,” Reith said. “That poses as a pretty big hazard for firefighters trying to respond.”

The man, along with a dog and a cat, was found dead inside the home. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

This marks the second fire-related fatality in Indianapolis in 2026.