BALDWINSVILLE -- Investigators say a fire at a Baldwinsville apartment complex that displaced eight families was caused by a cigarette left in an ashtray, and the fire was an accident.
The fire started around 11 p.m. Monday at the Town Square Apartments on Oswego Street. Multiple fire departments responded.
"We had heavy fire showing from the second story in the middle of the structure," said K.C. Pickard, Baldwinsville Fire Chief. "The initial crew came in about four minutes after dispatch and we had to outside attack it first and knock the fire down so the inside crew could go in and extinguish the fire."
No one was seriously hurt, except for one man who suffered minor burns to his hands, according to Pickard. The apartments were equipped with working fire alarms.
On Tuesday, people who live in the apartment complex were busy salvaging whatever they could. Nora Carson was helping her mother-in-law get belongings from her apartment.
"It's in pretty bad shape," says Carson. "The whole ceiling has collapsed. It's heavily water damaged and heavily smoke damaged."
Joyce Bird lives just a few apartments away from the fire.
"When I came out, there were already flames just shooting up off the roof ," says Bird.
Bird says she was one of the lucky ones. Most of her belongings were saved.
The owner of the apartments has offered to let any of the families stay in the nearby Clarion Hotel, which he owns. They're also being assisted by the Disaster Action Team of the local chapter of the Red Cross.
