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PrintCOLUMBIA — An early Saturday morning apartment fire left 10 people homeless, according to a Fire Department news release.
Firefighters were called to 1801 W. Worley St. at 3:46 a.m. Saturday to find both floors of an apartment engulfed in flames, which were spreading to nearby apartments. Crews managed to contain the blaze to one building.
The apartment's occupant, Larhonda Jones, told fire crews that she was asleep when the fire broke out. Three children and another adult were also asleep in the apartment.
According to the release, they awoke to smoke alarms and fire in the downstairs portion of the apartment. After trying to put out the fire on their own, they evacuated and called 911.
All residents of the building were evacuated and accounted for. One person was treated for smoke inhalation by University Hospital emergency staff at the scene.
Because of the cold temperatures, the Fire Department dispatched its 20-passenger bus to the scene as a warming shelter for the residents.
According to the release, damage to the six-unit apartment building is estimated at $175,000. The cause of the fire is under investigation, said Capt. Eric Hartment.
The building's owner, Yarco Company, and the American Red Cross are providing emergency housing to the building's 10 occupants.
Comments
Radio traffic is available in the archives at:
http://boone.mo.scanamerica.us/
under the Boone County fire/EMS scanner.
(This is my scanner, and I listened live. Traffic is pretty good considering I live quite a ways away from Worley where this happened, and when they switch to channel 2, I usually lose them completely)
What's with all of these fires lately? Arson? Space heaters? Something else?
A lot of it appears to be arson. There's some guy that's setting vacant houses over on 4th street afire - he's done about four of them.
Also, 'tis the season for space heaters and cooking. I know that's a lot of it too.
DK