Fargo Apartment Fire forces residents to evacuate

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – At 10:42 AM the Fargo Fire Department received a call for a possible structure fire at an apartment building located at 2551 Villa Drive.

When they arrived on scene they observed smoke coming from the roof of the building and the windows of the apartments.

While extinguishing the initial fire, the crews discovered that it had spread through a pipe chase into the attic of the building. Additional crews were able to extinguish the fire while the building was being evacuated.

Battalion Chief Joe Mangin said that at this time no injuries have been reported, but there is significant damage to the units in the building.

“At this point we know that there are two apartments in the building that have sustained quite a bit of damage, between the fire and then our efforts to get to the fire to extinguish it.”

There is also water damage throughout the first floor of the building.

One resident, Deandre Stubblefield, was awoken by the fire when his girlfriend smelled the smoke.

“I look at the wall, and I see that it’s kind of like flaming up, not really fiery but like black smoke coming from the cracks in the walls.”

Stubblefield says he and his girlfriend alerted neighbors, before evacuating with their pets and calling emergency services.

The Fire Department is not allowing residents back into the building at this time, and is working to set up temporary housing for the residents.