Elma apartment unit destroyed by fire Wednesday

Fire crews able to contain the blaze to a single unit

February 15, 2018 1:30 am
Photo by Brittnee Morris Crews from multiple agencies were able to keep an Elma apartment fire contained to a single unit, which was destroyed along with all its contents. One resident was taken as a precaution to Summit Pacific Medical Center for smoke inhalation.
Photo by Brittnee Morris Crews from multiple agencies were able to keep an Elma apartment fire contained to a single unit, which was destroyed along with all its contents. One resident was taken as a precaution to Summit Pacific Medical Center for smoke inhalation.

An apartment and all its contents were destroyed in a fire on Feb. 7 in the 300 block of South Second Street in Elma, according to Brian Baldwin, public information officer for Fire District 2.

A resident of the apartment had evacuated uninjured but returned to retreive a cat. That resident was transported to Summit Pacific Medical Center for smoke inhalation as a precaution. Firefighters were able to retrieve the cat, which was left in the care of the apartment manager.

The fire was visible from State Route 12 and was first reported at 5:23 p.m., said Baldwin. Crews were able to extinguish the fire and contain it to a single apartment, which was completely destroyed, in about a half hour. The apartment below the destroyed unit suffered significant water damage and two adjacent units suffered minor smoke damage.

Personnel and equipment from Fire District 2, McCleary Fire, Fire District 12 and Fire District 5 were used to fight the fire. There were no additional injuries to residents or responders.

“Battalion Chief Adam Fulbright said in an after-action meeting that the response from volunteers and staff to fight the fire was impressive, and contributed to containing the fire to the one apartment,” Baldwin said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

GoFundMe

Elma resident Dottie Narrance is worried about her granddaughter and her granddaughter’s family.

Nichole and Brady Erickson, along with their children, Landon and Riverly, had to move into a motel on Feb. 7.

A fire in the 300 block of South Second Street in Elma completely destroyed their neighbor’s apartment and the Erickson apartment is now unlivable due to water and smoke damage.

They lost everything, Narrance said, “their beds, crib, dressers etc. They didn’t have insurance. Five-year-old Riverly lost all the things dear to her — all her movies and toys even the Valentines she just got to take to school.”

Narrance has set up a GoFundMe account — Erickson Apartment Fire — to help her family. She has heard from many people who would like to donate clothes, furniture and household goods, but at this time there is no place to store all those things so the monetary donations will be most helpful.

CORRECTION, Feb. 21, 2018: Elma Fire Department was the first agency to attack the fire. Brian Baldwin is the public information officer for Fire District 5.