Early morning fire destroys apartment building

FREDERICKTOWN — One of the Station North Aprtments (Morely and Villar Streets) buildings went up in flames in a matter of minutes early Thursday morning.

The fire started about 3:45 a.m. Residents of the building were in the parking lot yelling for others to get out as flames began to burn from the top of the building.

Firefighters from Fredericktown and Cherokee Pass departments battled the early morning fire Thursday, May 26. They had support from Madison County Emergency Medical Services and both the Fredericktown Police Department and the Madison County Sheriff’s Department.

Police and the Sheriff’s officials were on the scene within a minute of getting the call, clearing the building. Fredericktown Fire Department responded quickly with its equipment and called for some mutual aid from the Cherokee Pass Fire Department as soon as Fredericktown was on scene.

The building had been engulfed within minutes of ignition. Smoke and ash billowed out from the flames and covered much of the surrounding area.

Firefighters fought the fire from both sides of the apartments. It was under control within about 30 minutes, but some portions of flames kept flaring well into the early morning hours.

It appeared one resident had been taken away by ambulance. It was undetermined if the individuals suffered some smoke inhalation.