All the residents of the 8-unit building were able to escape the quickly spreading fire. Some said they barely had time to grab their pets and get to safety.
Bellbrook Police were the first to arrive at the complex off of Wilmington Pike at about 12:20 a.m. and began getting residents out of the two-story building.
“I woke up to pounding on somebody else’s door,” Sarah Dahlinghaus, who lives in a lower apartment, told News Center 7. “We had about 30 seconds to capture our cat,” she added. “We just ran outside, when we turned the corner the top part of the building was just totally engulfed.” Dahlinghaus has lived in the apartment for less than a month, she said.
Bellbrook Police Sgt. Stephen Carmin said when police arrived, “The deck of the one apartment was completely involved.”
Carmin, along with two other Bellbrook officers pounded on doors. “We did get everybody out, that’s the important thing. Nobody was hurt,” he said.
Capt. Anthony Bizzarro said the flames were already through the roof when the first fire crews arrived and mutual aid was requested. Personnel from the Washington Twp. and Sugarcreek Twp. fire departments responded to help.
Randall Whitaker was inside his upstairs apartment when he heard a loud thud. “I heard a pop, sounded like somebody kicking a car door,” he said. Whitaker ran outside and noticed the flames spread from the neighboring balcony to the attic.
One person was transported to Miami Valley Hospital South to be checked out for smoke inhalation.
One unit of the building was completely destroyed, another suffered extensive damage and the other six had smoke and water damage.
Management at the complex, which is run by Gold Key Realty, declined to comment on the fire Thursday and there is no word on when residents could be able to return.
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