ATF to Help Investigate Major WY Apartment Fire
By Joshua Wolfson
Source Casper Star Tribune, Wyo.
Mar. 5—A large fire on Friday engulfed a Mills apartment complex that was under construction, resulting in a substantial property loss but no injuries, authorities said.
The blaze ignited early in the evening, producing huge flames and plumes of smoke. It took the combined efforts of all of Natrona County's fire agencies to bring it under control.
Flames could be seen burning through the top of the structure hours after witnesses in the area said the blaze began. Crews used ladder trucks to spray water on the flames while working in the icy cold.
Parts of the building were still smoldering on Saturday morning, according to authorities.
The apartment complex, situated on the corner of Poison Spider Road and Natrona Avenue in Mills, was not yet occupied.
Authorities say they don't know yet what caused the fire. The investigation into its origins will involve Mills Police, the Mills Fire Department and Natrona County fire inspectors. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms will participate, as the complex received some federal funding.
"It is still very early in the investigation, and investigators are still in the fact-collecting phase," an update posted Saturday morning on the Mills Police Facebook page states.
The fire began in the middle of the building and spread to both ends, said Mills Fire Chief Bob Lanz. At one point, fire crews on the east side began to run out of water. That temporarily allowed the fire to flare back up.
Firefighters addressed the water situation, and as of shortly after 10 p.m., crews had the fire under control, Lanz said.
In a Facebook video, Casper Fire-EMS engineer and spokesman Dane Anderson described the blaze as a "very large, complex structure fire."
Units from all of Natrona County's fire agencies responded to the blaze including the Mills Fire Department and Casper Fire-EMS. Authorities asked that the public avoid the area to allow emergency crews to work.
Joshua Wolfson is the editor of the Casper Star-Tribune. Find him on Twitter @joshwolfson.
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