The Porter Fire
Department battled a brush fire for nearly four hours early this morning on
the dunes overlooking Porter Beach.
Fire Chief Lewis
Craig told the Chesterton Tribune that the brush fire appears to have
started after an abandoned house at the top of the hill on the far south end
of Duneland Drive--formerly Dabbert Drive--was set on fire by persons
unknown. That blaze destroyed the house, which had been previously slated
for demolition, and quickly ignited the surrounding brush.
Craig estimates
that approximately five acres were ultimately involved. The PFD--assisted by
the Chesterton, Burns Harbor, Beverly Shores, Ogden Dunes, and National Park
Service (NPS) departments, along with Porter Regional Hospital EMS--doused
the fire with something like 800 gallons of water.
No one was injured,
Craig noted, but fighting the fire was complicated by a fence line, which
forced one unit to leave Porter Beach entirely, make the long trip around to
Indiana Dunes State Park to the east, and then drive up to the old Green
Tower site and access the fire from there.
The main body of
the PFD finally cleared the scene at 8:40 a.m. although a skeleton crew
remained behind to mop up hot spots, Craig said.
NPS is
investigating the apparent arson of the abandoned house, Craig added.