FIRE DAMAGES APARTMENT BUILDING

A fire, which broke out after 7 p.m. Saturday, heavily damaged a Cape Girardeau apartment building.

The fire started in Apt. D, one of four townhouse apartments in the two-story brick building. Smoke poured from the building and flames broke through the roof.

All of the occupants of the building managed to get out of the building.

Firefighters were still on the scene late Saturday night. Fire officials couldn't be reached for comment as to the cause of the fire.

Robert Blasiney of Cape Girardeau owns the apartment building. He said it appeared it could have been a grease fire.

Blasiney said the fire started near the kitchen. He said the building had operating smoke detectors.

The fire gutted Apt. D. The other three apartments had smoke and water damage.

Blasiney said he had just renovated three of the apartments, putting in new carpeting and new appliances.

He said the 20-year-old building will need some extensive repairs. "Repairing the building, the insurance company pays for that. The main thing is nobody is hurt," he said.

Jerry Emerson, who lived in Apt. D with his cousin, Rick Emerson, was at a neighbor's apartment across the street when the fire broke out.

The fire spread quickly. "It just went up fast. Before I knew it, everything was up in flames," said Emerson, who said the flames and smoke kept him from being able to go back into the apartment and remove his belongings.

Shani Lenore lived in Apt. B. She was in her apartment baby-sitting a 6-year-old boy when the fire broke out. "When I came out, all I saw was smoke," she said.

Lenore said she took the boy across the street to a neighboring apartment.

Justin Weaver lives in an upstairs apartment at 617 Boxwood, across the street from the damaged building.

The windows of his apartment were open and he was cooking dinner when his wife said she smelled smoke.

Weaver said he spotted the fire when he went outside. "I could see the flames shooting out the windows. It was really smoky," he said.