Police and fire officials are investigating a fatal fire early Tuesday at an apartment building on Swanson Court in Portage.
After the flames were extinguished, firefighters found Maria Leal, 87, of Portage, inside the ground-floor apartment where the fire is believed to have started, according to a release from Capt. Rob Maynard, public information officer for the Portage Police Department. She later died at Northwest Health-Porter.
An autopsy was scheduled for Wednesday morning to determine her cause of death.
Another resident was rescued from a second-story balcony after Portage firefighters were called to the scene around 12:10 a.m. in the 3300 block of Swanson Court.
While first responders were still on the scene, Leal’s daughter arranged and said her boyfriend had threatened to burn the apartment earlier in the evening during an argument elsewhere, according to the release.
A Crown Point Fire Department K-9 detected flammable liquids at the scene, police said. The Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office also is assisting with the investigation.
A suspect was found driving near the fire scene at about 1:30 a.m. His vehicle was impounded and searched. He was being held at Porter County Jail on unrelated charges while the investigation continued. His identity was being withheld pending formal charges.
Fire Chief Chris Crail said the fire was under control quickly after being called shortly after midnight.
“The crews that went interior did an amazing job,” he said. “Within the first 15 minutes of getting on the scene, they got water on the fire.”
The state fire marshal’s office is assisting at the Portage Fire Department’s request. Also assisting were the Crown Point Fire Department and Precision Towing.
“Our thoughts are with the families affected during this difficult time,” the Portage Fire Department posted on social media. The American Red Cross is assisting displaced residents.
“The members of the Portage Police Department extend our sympathies to Ms. Leal’s family and friends and hope to bring some sense of justice to them when criminal charges are finalized,” police said in the release.
Crail couldn’t remember the last time the department had dealt with a fatal fire.
“The severity of our calls has been pretty consistent and escalating. It does take a toll on our guys,” Crail said. The battalion chief working Monday night reached out to each firefighter working that fire to make sure they’re all good, Crail said.
The department offers peer support in-house. If a firefighter needs help outside that scope, the department can put them in touch with professionals who can help.
Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
