Blaze leaves ten out in cold

BROOKINGS — A fire that spread to multiple units of a campus apartment building left 10 people displaced on Saturday night in Brookings.

No injuries were reported.

According to Brookings Fire Department fire marshal Jared Runge, the Brookings Fire Department was dispatched at 9:26 p.m. to the 600 block of Faculty Drive for a report of smoke in an apartment building.

Upon arrival, crews entered the structure and found fire in both a basement apartment and a main-floor unit, Runge said. Because of the cold temperatures and the extent of the fire, assistance was requested from the Volga Fire Department. 

The fire is believed to have originated in the bathroom of the basement apartment. The Brookings Fire Department responded with three trucks and 17 personnel, while the Volga Fire Department responded with two trucks and 11 personnel.

While no one was hurt in the blaze, damage was estimated at approximately $85,000, according to the Brookings Fire Department.

About 10 residents were displaced as a result of the fire, and the American Red Cross was contacted to assist those affected.

Responding agencies included the Brookings Fire Department, Brookings Police Department, Brookings Ambulance, Volga Fire Department, SDSU Police the American Red Cross and Brookings Municipal Utilities. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Firefighters remained on scene for approximately three hours.