Ephrata fire damages apartments

Unattended candle started building fire

EPHRATA — The Ephrata Fire Department quickly extinguished a blaze at the Sundowner Apartments Friday afternoon that was apparently started by an unattended candle.

No one was injured in the fire and no adjoining apartments were effected as the fire's damage was contained to one of two bedrooms in a two-story apartment. An estimated $3,000 worth of damage was done to the building and about $1,000 in personal contents were destroyed, according to a EFD press release.

The apartment complex has 30 units within five buildings and is operated by Mercer Island-based Quality Management Inc.

An investigation determined the fire was accidental and started by a candle left unattended in one of the apartment's two upstairs bedrooms. The candle ignited curtains, which fell to the floor in flames and ignited combustible material within the bedroom, the EFD stated.

The fire was discovered by the apartment tenant Shannon Hicks at 1:26 p.m as she came home. As she was in the downstairs portion of the two-level apartment, Hicks noticed smoke. She then ran outside to call 911 and went to the site manager's office for help.

The manager, Roy Person, said that he had one of his employees evacuate the other units.

While the other apartments were being evacuated, Person went inside the apartment as it was filled with smoke and rescued Hicks' cat, Battalion Chief Kyle Foreman said.

"It's second nature to do those sorts of things," Person said. "That's just what I do, that's part of who I am."

The first EFD unit arrived about three minutes after the emergency call came in to dispatch. As the fire units reached the apartment complex, Person was about to head back inside the burning unit with a fire extinguisher to try and put out the blaze, Foreman said.

Firefighters took over and battled the fire for less than five minutes before it was out, Foreman said.

Firefighters from Grant County Fire District 13 assisted at the scene. A total of 17 firefighters responded using two engines and one ladder truck. An ambulance from Grant County Fire District 5 was also on the scene.

The apartment complex owner is insured, the EFD stated.