No one was injured in a fire that broke out in a north Dickinson apartment building early Friday afternoon.
"Thankfully, everybody got out and is OK," building owner Dion Friedt said. "That's the most important thing."
The fire started in a top-floor apartment at 2584 Sixth Ave. W. around 12:30 p.m. The tenant was not in the unit at the time.
"The alarm in the building went off," tenant Aubrey Stroh said. "The crazy thing is that the alarm has tripped off before for no reason. I think a lot of people just ignored it at first. I did until I opened the door and smelled smoke."
The cause of the blaze is still under investigation by the Dickinson Fire Department.
ADVERTISEMENT
"We're still making sure there isn't any fire extension, that the fire is out completely and only then will we start our investigation," Dickinson fire chief Bob Sivak said.
The building is currently uninhabitable without electricity or an alarm system, Friedt said.
"Hopefully, the tenants will be able to grab some of their personal belongings," he added. "I'm waiting to hear back from our insurance agent to see if we can put them up somewhere in another building or a hotel."
All units in the 12-plex building are rented. It is unknown how many people were displaced.
"There's smoke damage throughout the entire building, most likely," Sivak said. "Extensive is the right word for it, particularly in the center portion of the building. It seems like that center portion is divided off from the others."
Responding agencies included the Dickinson Fire Department, Dickinson Rural Fire Department, Dickinson Police Department, Stark County Sheriff's Department and the Red Cross.
"Because of the physical work that's being done inside, combined with the heat today, we have asked Dickinson Rural for a mutual-aid response and they're coming up with some man-power for us," Sivak said.
The Dickinson Fire Department responded with five trucks and 19 firefighters. Dickinson Rural responded with two trucks and five firefighters.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Red Cross responded to assist in finding lodging for the displaced residents.
