Gary, Indiana – In the early hours of Sunday, firefighters in Gary, Indiana, battled a significant fire at the abandoned Ralph Waldo Emerson High School. The blaze, which prompted a substantial response from Gary and neighboring municipalities, was extinguished by 3:45 a.m. without any reported injuries. Fire departments from Merrillville and Munster assisted in controlling the fire at the historic building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The former school, located at 716 East 7th Avenue, experienced a large collapse during the fire. Intense flames were captured in video footage, and arson investigators are currently examining the site. The Emerson High School, closed since 2008, has been a point of contention in the community, with a history of crime including the discovery of a Chicago teen’s body in 2015.
