A Columbus Village Townhomes apartment was damaged in a fire.
Columbus firefighters were called to the townhomes at 5:40 p.m. Sunday after neighbors smelled smoke and saw flames coming from an apartment at 1546 27th Place, said Capt. Mike Wilson, Columbus Fire Department spokesman.
A neighbor told firefighters she and her family smelled smoke inside their apartment and saw flames coming from a nearby apartment. The woman and her two children evacuated and notified neighbors at 1554 27th Place. A fourth apartments occupants at 1542 27th Place were not home.
Firefighters found heavy fire coming from the ground level window of the two-story townhouse apartment, Wilson said. They discovered the apartment door was locked, and applied water directly into the window, he said.
When the flames were extinguished, firefighters used entry tools to go through the front door and searched the apartment for occupants or any remaining fire, Wilson said. The apartment was unoccupied.
The fire was contained to the single apartment unit without extending to additional apartments, Wilson said. Smoke and heat damage did occur on the second floor. Flames pushing from the window caused damage to vinyl siding on the exterior of the apartment. No working smoke detectors were located in the apartment, Wilson said..
Kayla Ferrell, 1546 27th Place, arrived on the scene while firefighters were still working to control the blaze. Ferrell told investigators that her family was in the process of moving from the apartment and that the unit did not have any utility services.
Ferrell said that she and her children had briefly left the apartment and returned to find the fire had occurred. Ferrell said that their family has been moving items from the apartment to another residence and that only a small number of items remained which, according to Ferrell, included beds and the children’s toys. During the investigation, Ferrell said that she had a candle burning in the apartment’s kitchen. Ferrell said that she believed she had blown out the candle before leaving the apartment.
Damages to the apartment were estimated at $30,000, Wilson said. Firefighters determined the fire started in the kitchen but the cause is undetermined at this time, Wilson said.
No injuries were reported. Firefighters used gas metering equipment to ensure that all other units were safe for occupancy. Following an all-clear report from firefighters, the tenants were allowed to return to their respective apartments, Wilson said.
At the conclusion of the investigation, the apartment at 1546 27th Place was turned over to Columbus Villa Townhomes management, Wilson said. Firefighters confirmed working smoke alarms and fire extinguishers were present in the neighboring apartment units.
Agencies that assisted at the scene were the Columbus Police Department, Columbus Regional Health EMS, Columbus City Utilities, Duke Energy, Vectren Energy and the Bartholomew County Emergency Operations Center.
