South Bend, IN – One resident was taken to a hospital after an early-morning fire broke out inside a South Bend apartment Friday, prompting firefighters to respond to the Fairington Apartments.
According to the South Bend Fire Department, crews were dispatched shortly after 4:30 a.m. Friday to the 1200 block of Fairington Circle for a reported commercial structure fire.
Firefighters entered the two-story apartment building and encountered smoke on the second floor. Crews then located a small fire inside the bathroom of a second-floor unit, officials said.
An initial investigation indicated the fire originated around the bathroom exhaust fan and remained contained to the immediate area. Firefighters brought the blaze under control within approximately 10 minutes.
The resident of the affected apartment was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation before being transported to a hospital for additional evaluation. The fire department did not provide an update on the resident’s condition.
No other injuries were reported, and officials said no additional apartment units were affected by the fire.
Firefighters remained at the Fairington Apartments after extinguishing the flames to remove lingering smoke from the rest of the building.
The fire remains under investigation, according to the department. Officials have not announced a final determination on what caused the exhaust fan area to ignite.
The incident comes during the early morning hours when many apartment residents would typically be sleeping, but crews were able to contain the fire before it spread to other units in the building.
