BROOKINGS – No one was injured when an empty apartment caught fire in the early morning hours Wednesday, according to the Brookings Fire Department.
The fire was reported at 2 a.m. Wednesday and occurred in the lower apartment of a duplex at 913 First St., according to Deputy Fire Chief Pete Bolzer.
“The upstairs tenants noticed it right away and called it in early. Otherwise, it would have been much worse,” Bolzer said.
The apartment was full of smoke when firefighters arrived, he added.
“We forced entry and located a fire in the electrical room. There wasn’t much fire. When the crews located it, a water pipe had melted through and put most of the fire out,” he said.
They’re still working on the cause of the fire.
“Fire originated in a dehumidifier and because of the damage, I am not really certain what happened,” Bolzer said.
He did not have a damage estimate.
“The bottom apartment has heavy smoke damage throughout. The actual fire damage was limited to the electrical room but there was heavy damage to the electrical wiring,” Bolzer said.
“There was smoke in the upstairs apartment, but as soon as the electrical damage is repaired, they can probably get back in there,” Bolzer said.
There were no injuries. Part of the reason for that was the basement apartment was not rented, so there was no one in it, he said.
A total of 23 firefighters responded with five apparatus, he said. Crews cleared the scene at 3:46 a.m.
Bolzer said the only other action the fire crews have seen recently is a number of false alarms. He’s glad his firefighters haven’t had to be outside in the heat wearing turnout gear.
“The way the weather’s being, I would take 15 false alarms over one real call. This is when people go to the hospital, in weather like this,” Bolzer said.
