Fire destroys businesses in northwestern Indiana plaza

LAKE STATION, Ind. (AP) - Fire swept through a northwestern Indiana shopping plaza, destroying several businesses as it took crews about four hours to extinguish the blaze.

The fire was reported about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday in the plaza in the Lake County city of Lake Station. Fire Chief Chuck Fazekas tells The (Northwest Indiana) Times that flames were going through the roof by the time firefighters arrived and they had to back out from inside as the roof became to collapse.

Ten businesses occupied the plaza, with those in the center being destroyed by the blaze and the others sustaining smoke and water damage.

Fazekas says one firefighter was hospitalized for heat exhaustion and another was treated at the scene. Investigators didn't immediately know what started the fire.

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Information from: The Times, http://www.nwitimes.com