The state fire marshal and Frankfort Police are looking into the cause of an apartment fire that happened Wednesday night on Meadowview Drive.
State Fire Marshal Bill Swope said police called his office for help determining the cause and origin of the fire. An inspector visited the apartment building Thursday to investigate and conduct interviews, but Swope couldn’t comment on the results until a report is complete.
That could take a few days or a few weeks; there’s no typical turnaround time on a fire investigation, he said.
“It could be three or four days if it (the cause) is obvious, but if we have to do a lot of digging, searching and interviewing it could take a week or two weeks,” he told The State Journal.
If the fire marshal pinpoints arson, state or local police could pick up the case. Frankfort Police Maj. Fred Deaton said his office is waiting on the results of the report.
The fire displaced several residents of the six-unit apartment building at 261 Meadowview Drive.
Paula Rutledge, executive director of the Red Cross in Franklin County, said her organization placed two families in a motel after the fire Wednesday night, and a third family Thursday night.
The Red Cross provides fire victims shelter for up to three days. Assistance with food, clothing and other needs is determined on a case-by-case basis.
Rutledge said that although one apartment unit was destroyed, the rest sustained little to no damage.
“It really was fortunate because it could have been a whole lot worse,” she said.
“We’ve been working with the residents, and the landlord has been working hard to get everyone back to normal as soon as possible.”
Assistant Fire Chief Eddie Slone said several residents were in the building when the fire broke out around 11 p.m. Several people left the scene before firefighters arrived, he said.
The building has two apartments on each floor, including the basement, that share a common hallway, which allows smoke to carry easily throughout the building, Slone said.
Three people were checked for smoke inhalation by EMS at the scene, but no injuries were reported.
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