A fire destroyed part of an apartment complex and caused at least $100,000 in damages Thursday afternoon.
The fire apparently began shortly before 2 p.m. on the second floor of a 20-unit apartment building at 4765 Lake Trail Drive and quickly spread to an attached building at 4775 Lake Trail Drive, officials said. Investigators said the cause of the fire had not been determined. Melody J. Gardiner, manager of the Lake Side Apartments, provided the damage estimate.
Officials said no one was injured in the blaze, but at least 40 people were left homeless, Gardiner said.
“We won’t have a clear idea of how bad the damage is until we can walk through and see for ourselves,” she said while trying to find storage space for a resident’s pet bird and several rabbits.
Several residents said they smelled smoke and heard a fire alarm blaring in a public hallway at about 1:30 p.m., but the alarm quickly shut off. Nearly 30 minutes later, the alarm rang again and stayed on, residents said.
“Then I saw smoke blowing past the window,” said Andy Miller, 20, a resident of 4775 Lake Trail.
Roommates Scott Andersen and Derek Chesney said they would likely stay at a friend’s house until they learned if and when they could return to their apartment.
More Top Picks Best Standing Desks For Students
“It doesn’t look too good, though,” Miller said. “The firemen just used our living room as an entry.”