Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Fire leaves four apartments uninhabitable in Rogers
ROGERS — A fire that left four apartments uninhabitable awakened Seventh Street Apartments residents early Thursday morning.
The alarm going off in the apartment above roused Morgan Neal, who then went outside.
“I saw the flames,” she said. Dane Derx and his wife, Ellen, are the on-site managers for the complex near Seventh and Popular streets. The couple sat outside their apartment Thursday morning with some of the other residents. The fire was out, but a heavy smell of smoke hung in the air.
Dane Derx said he knocked on doors of the 12 units in the two-story building to alert residents.
Rogers Fire Chief Tom Jenkins said the department received a call at 5:05 a.m. and 26 firefighters went to the scene. The fire was contained to a single unit. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
It took about 20 minutes to gain control of the fire. Three firefighters were injured, but they were treated and released from a hospital, Jenkins said.
The residents in the apartment where the fire occurred got out safely, Dane Derx said. Flames exploded through the apartment window as one tenant left the unit, Ellen Derx said.
“It all happened so fast,” she said. “It was ridiculous.”
One apartment was destroyed and three others had smoke and other damage, she said. Two cats also were killed in the blaze.
“I’m not clear on what happened or how it started,” Dane Derx said.
Neal said she and her mother cannot live in their apartment because of smoke damage, and the ceiling could collapse because of water damage. Six other people were displaced. Ellen Derx said those residents would be put in a hotel for the night.
Ellen Derx said the residents are a tight community and look out for each other.
“We are close to everyone here,” she said. “We are the apartment managers, but these are our friends.
“The main thing is that no one was injured in the fire. I’m just glad everyone got out safely. That’s the most important thing.”