Hammond Fire Chief Jeff Smith said Monday that firefighters were called to Michigan Street and Kennedy Avenue around 2 a.m. April 17 for a NIPSCO pole on fire, with the first unit of NIPSCO workers arriving at around 6:30 a.m. to start repair work. NIPSCO announced around 8:30 a.m. via news release that the Indiana Toll Road and South Shore Line had been shut down in both directions.Firefighters had the fire extinguished by 10:15 a.m.
A charred, smoking power pole stands between Michigan Avenue and I-90 in East Chicago on Monday, April 17, 2023. None of the commuter train power lines were affected in the fire, Smith said, but NIPSCO initially cut power to them so that any power surges that occurred during the pole’s repair wouldn’t damage them, South Shore President and General Manager Michael Noland said. NIPSCO cleared South Shore around 12:30 p.m. to run its weekend/holiday schedule to Gary Metro for the rest of Monday, with buses between the Gary Metro and Carroll Avenue stations in Michigan City.
NIPSCO workers gather near the location of a burnt-out power pole between Michigan Avenue and I-90 in East Chicago on Monday, April 17, 2023.