3 sent to hospital to check for smoke inhilation following trash fire

IU police officers responded to a trash fire at 4:39 p.m. yesterday at the IU Service Building on Range Road, sending one bystander and the two officers to the hospital to be checked for smoke inhalation, said Lt. Craig Munroe.

A barrel inside the building, primarily used for trash, set fire for unknown reasons, Munroe said. There may have been minute traces of chemicals in the barrel, as it contained several empty cans of an oil-based stained primer and two empty cans of Sherwin-Williams paint.

“The one worker that was taken to the hospital was being treated for some inhalations,” Munroe said. “We didn’t know exactly what was burning in there.”

After extinguishing the fire, the officers brought the barrel outside and waited until the fire department arrived. They were later called back to the building when the barrel was seen smoldering.

— Bailey Loosemore