Scorched Quincy apartments displace Basin families

QUINCY - Nearly 25 people are displaced from their homes after an early morning weekend fire gutted two apartments and damaged six others.

Fire crews were called to the 300 block of Third Avenue Southwest around 1:30 a.m. Saturday with reports of flames showing from the second story of an apartment building.

Grant County Fire District 3 Asst. Chief Tony Leibelt said crews attacked the fire while checking to make sure all residents were evacuated. There were no injuries reported.

The two-story building was one of four eight-unit structures in the complex. Leibelt said the fire was contained to the single building and did not spread to others.

Two apartments on the top floor received significant fire damage, he said. The other six sustained smoke and water damage.

According to its Facebook page, the Apple Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross is helping the five or six families displaced by the blaze. That rounds out to 20-25 people, Leibelt estimated.

Roughly 25 firefighters worked the blaze for an hour and 10 minutes. Crews from Grant County Fire Districts 3 and 13, Douglas County Fire District 2, Quincy police and Public Works departments, and Grant County PUD were at the scene.

Officials said the cause of the fire is under investigation.