At approximately 6:45 PM on Tuesday, January 22, the Central Dakota Communications Center received a report of a fire at a six-unit apartment building on the 1900 block of North 11th Street. The Bismarck Fire Department was dispatched.
The first arriving fire crew reported a three story apartment building with smoke and flames showing from a third floor window. The fire crew established command, and deployed lines to initiate an attack on the fire, after getting reports that everyone had been evacuated from the building. Other crews conducted a search of all of the apartment units to verify that nobody was still inside. Fire crews found heavy fire in the involved apartment, and completed extinguishment within approximately 15 minutes after arrival.
After extinguishing the fire in the apartment, fire crews conducted overhaul operations to find and extinguish any hot spots within the walls and roof area that had been exposed to fire. When the overhaul operations were complete a fire investigation was conducted. The fire appears to have been accidental, and likely originated in stove area of the kitchen of the involved apartment.
Five fire department apparatus and 18 firefighters were dispatched to the scene. Bismarck Police Department assisted with scene control. Metro Area Ambulance was on scene to provide medical support. MDU was called to the scene to secure utilities. The Fire Chaplains and the American Red Cross were notified, and assisted with ensuring shelter for the displaced families.
There were no injuries to the occupants of the building. The occupants of the building were displaced by the fire, but building management was able to restore heat and power to the building. There were no injuries to first responders. There was moderate smoke damage to the uninvolved apartments, and fire damage was limited to the apartment of origin.