Massive South Bend Apartment Fire Forces Evacuations

A large fire erupted early Tuesday at an apartment complex under construction in South Bend, Indiana, prompting the evacuation of people in a nearby residential building, local officials said.

According to the South Bend Fire Department, the blaze broke out shortly after midnight at the Stadium Flats apartments near S. Lafayette & W. South Street.

Responding crews found heavy flames and thick smoke at the site after reports indicated the fire had spread across the unfinished structure and involved a crane.

Although the fire sent a “significant amount of embers and debris” into the area, firefighters prevented the flames from reaching the neighboring Diamond View Apartments.

Residents of the Diamond View Apartments were evacuated during the fire, with officials saying the heat damaged several windows on the building’s top floor. The building has 60 units of affordable housing, according to a report last year in the South Bend Tribune.

The Stadium Flats building was set to introduce 92 additional affordable units to downtown South Bend. Before the fire, construction was expected to be completed by spring 2027.

Both buildings are near the training facility for the South Bend Cubs, the city’s minor league baseball team. Firefighters were able to stop the blaze from spreading to the 17,000-square-foot complex, which is right next to the baseball stadium.

Officials said the cause of the fire remains under investigation. No injuries or deaths were reported.

The fire occurred a little over two miles from the University of Notre Dame’s campus.