A minor apartment fire in downtown Winfield late Wednesday was purposely set, local fire officials said this morning.
“It’s being investigated as an arson,” fire marshal Gary Bowker, said. “We know someone intentionally started the fire.”
Fire crews were called to the Adaline Apartments, 1017 Millington, around 11 p.m in response to the report of a structure fire. A fire was found in the stairwell of a section of the multi-level building that houses eight living units.
Four of those units were occupied at the time of the blaze, said Bowker. Those occupants were evacuated and the fire was quickly extinguished and only about $500 in damage was done to the building.
“We estimated the value at risk was around $330,000 but we got there very quickly and were able to limit the damage,” he said.
Bowker noted that one advantage was the apartment’s close proximity to the Winfield Fire Station.
A fire in a stairwell is one of the more potentially dangerous situations the department handles. Stairwells are a main point of evacuation obviously, Bowker said, and stairwells can act like chimneys, quickly spreading a steady stream of smoke and flames over several floors.
“It could have been a very serious situation,” Bowker said. “Setting a fire in an occupied dwelling is something we take very seriously. The person or persons responsible would be facing the most serious arson charge.”
Bowker did say that all the apartments appeared to have alternate escape routes that were well maintained.
The fire department is working with the Winfield Police Department to investigate the incident. If you have any information, contact 221-5555.