Firefighters were dispatched to the fire shortly after 10:30 p.m. When they arrived, they discovered fire shooting out of two windows on the third floor, in the back of the complex.
All the occupants were able to escape without injury, Follick said.
A preliminary investigation suggests that the male occupant of the apartment where the fire started, was warming up some grease and fell asleep. He woke up, noticed the fire and ran into the hallway of the building to retrieve a fire extinguisher. However, by the time he returned to his kitchen it was fully engulfed, so he left and started knocking on neighbors’ doors.
The apartment building is a short distance from the Vandalia Police Department. Some officers getting ready to start patrol noticed the fire and rushed to help get occupants out of the building, Follick said.
Two firefighters on the roof of the structure fell partially through the roof, but managed to get out by helping each other, Follick said.
The fire was under control within 10 minutes and left the units uninhabitable.
The first and second floor were damaged by water and smoke while the third floor was damaged by fire. The estimated damage cost had not been determined as of 11 a.m. Tuesday.
Two families received some assistance from the Dayton Chapter of the American Red Cross while the other occupants were relocated to other apartments at the complex.
Follick pointed out that the apartment where the fire started had a working smoke detector, which was helpful in this situation. However, Follick stressed that citizens should not walk away from something they are cooking.