A fire this morning caused major damage to a two-story apartment building at 201 W. 10th St. No serious injuries have been reported.
The building has four apartments and is owned by Darrell and Nancy Gottlob of Arkansas City. It was built in 1910 and valued at $80,000, according to the County Appraiser’s Office.
The police department received a 911 call at 8:48 a.m. Firefighters from Arkansas City, Udall, and Burden responded to the call from Winfield for mutual aid.
The Red Cross and Salvation Army were called to the scene to assist residents and provide hot coffee for firefighters who had to contend with a wind chill in the low 30s.
One patient was taken by ambulance from the scene at 10:25 a.m but his condition was not believed to be serious.
The site of the fire has some local historical significance.
Information on file at William Newton Hospital indicates that a Dr. Pilcher used a building at the location for surgical patients in 1899. His charges ranged from 50-cents to $1 per day,according to the information found by Tom Embers at the hospital.
After Pilcher’s death in 1908, two brothers named Smith who were doctors practiced in the building. It was called Winfield hospital but not associated with William Newton Hospital.
