Several people who live in nearby apartments were displaced due to smoke damage, Springfield Fire/Rescue Division Battalion Chief Matt Smith said. The division sent 17 firefighters to the scene.
The apartment’s attic included a firewall, which stopped the blaze from spreading through to the other units, Smith said.
“It kept the fire from going any further,” he said.
It’s unclear what started the fire, which appears to have begun in the kitchen area, he said.
Resident Mike Dill was watching TV when he smelled smoke. Then he saw smoke blowing into his apartment from a fan in his front room, he said.
He immediately began checking his apartment but then went outside and saw smoke coming from the roof. The fire began in the apartment behind his, he said.
“When I came out, the whole eaves were smoking,” Dill said. “I ran in my bare feet and no shirt to my neighbor’s, yelling and screaming. We had a couple other people help and we got everybody out.”
Dill, who has lived at the complex for 12 years, will likely be displaced for at least Monday night due to smoke damage, he said.
“This is the first time I’ve seen a fire here,” Dill said.
About the Author