NEWTON, Kan. – Fire and EMS crews in Newton were called to the report of a structure fire at an apartment complex Tuesday afternoon. First-arriving crews found heavy smoke and flames coming from a 1st-floor apartment and several occupants who required help escaping the thick smoke and heat.
Crews gained control of the fire quickly with Newton Engine 2’s compressed air foam system, and searched the entire building to account for all occupants. Fire crews spent more than two hours removing smoke and extinguishing hidden fire that had penetrated the walls between apartments.
Emergency personnel rotated through cooling and hydration stations to combat the heat associated with working in a superheated environment in heavy protective gear. Occupants displaced by the fire received assistance from the American Red Cross.
Off-duty personnel were called in to cover several emergency calls that occurred while this fire was underway, and members of Hesston Emergency Services staffed a Newton Fire/EMS station for about an hour.
Cause of the fire was not released.
*photo courtesy of the Newton Fire Department