Fire heavily damaged an apartment in Sweet Home Tuesday evening, Dec. 4.
At 5:01 p.m. Tuesday, the Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District was dispatched to an apartment fire at 2300 Main St. Dispatchers told firefighters that occupants in one of the apartments were unable to get out.
When the first fire unit arrived, lames were showing inside the middle apartment on the first floor of a six-unit apartment building. The owner of the building was using a garden hose to put water on the flames, from outside the door.
The occupant of the apartment that was on fire had already exited the building safely.
Sweet Home Police officers assisted the battalion chief with evacuation of the remaining five apartments, three of which were on the second floor of the building with their only means of escape being the stairwell directly above the fire.That stairwell had sustained minor damage from the fire.
The fire was quickly extinguished by the eight firefighters who responded to the scene. There were no injuries.
The building sustained an estimated $20,000 in damage, with an estimated $3,500 damage to the contents of the apartment. The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental, due to improperly discarded cigarettes.
One occupant was displaced by the fire, and was receiving aid from the American Red Cross.
Sweet Home Fire would like to remind those who choose to smoke inside their homes to use caution and ensure that all cigarettes and burning materials are disposed of properly. Also, make sure your home has working smoke detectors.