COLUMBUS, Ind. – One person was hurt and ten individuals were forced to find temporary housing after an early Thursday morning fire at Williamsburg Apartments.
At 4:05 a.m., the Columbus Fire Department (CFD) and the Columbus Township Fire Department were called to a three-story multifamily apartment complex at 2715 Williamsburg Ct. Firefighters arrived to see flames on the second and third-floor balconies and applied water before heading inside to alert occupants of the fire.
Everyone was safely evacuated, however, one man who lived in the third-floor apartment where the blaze is believed to have started was treated for smoke inhalation, taken to the hospital, and listed in stable condition.
In the apartment where the fire originated, fire crews began removing portions of the drywall, ceilings, and flooring in an effort to identify possible hidden fire or fire damage. Firefighters did find evidence that the flames were dangerously close to breaching the interior walls and entering the interior living space prior to the extinguishment efforts.
Investigators believe the fire started on a third-floor balcony after smoking materials were improperly disposed of. The blaze was ruled accidental.
The building contained six apartments, five of which were occupied. Three families were allowed to return to their homes and two apartments were deemed uninhabitable as a result of damage. A total of seven adults and three children are among those displaced.
The Salvation Army and the American Red Cross are providing emergency services to the families.
CFD said damage to the building was estimated to be $30,000.
