Resident displaced after apartment fire
No one was injured, but one person was displaced following a late-night apartment fire in Yuma on Monday.
The fire broke out just before 10 p.m. in an apartment at 1700 S. Crowder Ave., according to Yuma Fire Department spokesperson Mike Erfert.
When firefighters arrived on scene, they found smoke and flames coming from unit No. 3 of the complex. The occupants had safely evacuated and apartments on either side of where the fire was burning were also evacuated.
Erfert said that the fire originated in the laundry area wall, spreading to the attic, and that flames were showing through the roof. Firefighters quickly contained and extinguished the fire. Damage was limited to the laundry room wall, ceiling, attic and roof above. The fire was also contained to the apartment where the fire occurred, with apartments on either side able to be reoccupied.
The apartment that sustained damage will not be able to be reoccupied until repairs are done. There were no injuries and the occupant was assisted by family members. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The Yuma Fire Department would like to remind residents that fire can spread quickly, doubling in size every minute it is burning. Knowing two ways out of every room and quickly using that knowledge to safely evacuate in the event of a fire, ensuring that everyone else is safely out, and quickly reporting the fire via 911, all help reduce injury and damage.
Remember, “Every second counts: Plan two ways out!”