At least a dozen people can't go home Monday night after an apartment caught fire earlier in the afternoon. The fire started around 12:30 p.m., according to Cross Plains Fire Chief Dale Lochner. Multiple departments in the surrounding area were called to help as the roof went up in flames.
"Basically the one half of the building [was burned], the other half is untouched," Lochner said. "There were flames in the roof, a lot of heavy smoke coming from interior at that time."
Victoria Myhre was home sick from work Monday when she saw smoke and flames from her window.
"I then ran out to our patio because I thought our patio was on fire, but I just grabbed our rabbit, pulled the fire alarm and ran out," she told 27 News.Myhre could only watch as firefighters fought the flames from the roof above her apartment, which is in the back, on the side that was severely damaged. "It's devastating, because it's like our whole apartment. Just knowing that we have nothing..." Myhre said. After the flames were out and the smoke cleared, the damage was revealed. The entire roof was gone on half the building.
Fire officials say they're still working to figure out how the fire started. It did not spread to the second half of the 12-unit building, according to the chief, but no one will be staying at the apartment Monday night. The Red Cross is helping people who are displaced.
Fore more go to WKOW: http://www.wkow.com/story/37860981/2018/04/02/breaking-firefighters-responding-to-apartment-complex-in-cross-plains