Fire marshals investigate cause of Mishawaka apartment fire during summer storm

Aug. 28, 2024

MISHAWAKA — Residents say a lighting strike sparked the fire that burned their apartment at Autumn Lakes Apartments and Townhomes Tuesday night. 

Investigators, however, have only just begun their investigation and have not confirmed lightning or anything else as the cause of the fire late-night fire at the complex near Indiana 331 and the St. Joseph Valley Parkway on Mishawaka's south side.

By 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, fire crews had left the scene, leaving the smoke-stained building standing in remnants. Most of the building's upper floor and attic is charred and gone.

By 11 a.m., investigators with Indiana State Fire Marshal and Mishawaka Fire Marshal were taking pictures of the building’s exterior. The building is taped off with caution tape surrounding the structure. 

Tenant Nik Pedersen said Wednesday morning that he could see his front door open from the sidewalk, but he can’t go in to grab anything else, not even his work tools that are still inside. 

His roommate, Noah Johnson, said a lightning bolt struck above their patio the night before, referring to the severe rainstorm that inundated the area with thunder and lightning. They live in apartment 1212 on the second floor of the three-story building. Five minutes after lightning struck, the building’s fire alarm was pulled, he said. 

“The lightning was crazy all night,” he said.

As Johnson and Pedersen gathered their things, including their cats, and ran outside, Johnson said, the fire appeared to be controlled. 

Ten minutes later, after getting everyone out safely, explosions erupted, Johnson said.

“It was getting worse and worse,” he said. 

Mishawaka Fire Battalion Chief Jeff Hums said fire crews were called to the scene at 10:30 p.m. Aug. 27 and worked until 2 a.m. Aug. 28 to get the fire under control. 

“Even this morning, coming down the Bypass, you could see puffs of smoke,” tenant Amy Zakowski, who lives in a unit affected by the fire, said. She wasn’t home when the fire blazed.

Pedersen said he and Johnson were sitting upstairs in their apartment when lightning struck around 10:40 p.m. 

“We heard a loud strike,” he said, “Probably the loudest strike I’ve ever heard in my life. It sounded like a shotgun. I could have sworn I saw a spark before.”

“We did,” Johnson said. “We 100% saw a spark.”

“I didn’t think anything of it,” Pedersen said. “I should have.”

A few minutes later, someone pulled the fire alarm, Johnson said.

At that time, Pedersen said, he looked up from his balcony to the apartment above him and saw it on fire. In his split-second thinking, he grabbed his cat carrier, threw two cats inside, and got his wallet and keys. 

Johnson grabbed his contacts, his phone, wallet, keys and his bible. 

When they were exiting the building, there was smoke everywhere, Johnson said. They assisted their elderly neighbor and thought the fire started from his apartment. 

Zakowski, who wasn’t home while the fire took place, was on the phone with her insurance company Wednesday morning. One of her cats is still missing, she said, not knowing for sure if her cat got out. 

“I moved here two years ago because my apartment in Castle Point burned to the ground,” Zakowski said, gesturing to the goosebumps on her arms thinking about it. “Two years ago!” 

“That’s insane,” Johnson told her. 

“I think people need to realize this could happen,” he said. “You never think about it when you’re in an apartment at all. You never really know how to react to a fire alarm.” 

Johnson’s first reaction was to step outside for a second, he said. 

“You don’t realize what’s going on until it happens to you,” Zakowski said. 

Management from Autumn Lakes Apartments and Townhomes declined to comment on the incident or about plans to help affected residents.

Mishawaka's executive director of development and governmental affairs, Matthew Lentsch, released a statement to residents saying, “If you live in the Autumn Lakes Apartment complex, and your building has been impacted by the fire please go to the Autumn Lakes Clubhouse for reunification and to get further instructions from the Autumn Lake Apartment complex management.”

When The Tribune asked Lentsch if the city is currently working on a plan for displaced residents affected by the fire, he said he's looking into it.