Fire in Building M at the Bluffs Apartments complex in Junction City Thursday caused damage but no injuries.
Fire Chief Terry Johnson noted that an estimated six to eight apartments were damaged. One burned while others had smoke or water damage.
Firefighters were called to the scene about 2 p.m. Thursday. Johnson said the building contained 21 or 22 apartment units. "With no fire suppression system to protect the other residents, the whole building is now out of service. So we've had the utilities shut off to the building.
Red Cross and USO Fort Riley officials responded to help those residents who were displaced.
The fire burned a third floor apartment. Operations Divisions Chief, Dennis Wetklow ,said that apartment was almost fully involved. "When I got here the deck was fully involved with fire. " He noted that as crews were making an interior attack ahead a pumper line was deployed off the engine to knock the fire down on the deck and prevent extension of the fire into the attic. "But these guys did a pretty good job. They stopped it pretty quick. They did a fantastic job."
The cause of the blaze is under investigation, with Chief Johnson roughly estimating that the damage would total at least in the one-half million dollar range.
This is the third major fire at the Bluffs in recent years. In the first two entire apartment buildings were burned.
