Updated at 2:32 p.m.
CHANUTE — One person has died and several were hurt when an early morning fire gutted a Chanute apartment complex, according to Chanute officials.
The first fire alarm sounded at 1:22 a.m. Thursday at the Cornerstone Apartment Complex, 1610 W. 4th St., according to a joint press release from the City of Chanute and its police and fire departments.
The south side of the 24-unit building was fully engulfed in flames with fire coming through the roof when firefighters arrived. Police immediately began evacuating the building.
The entire complex sustained damage throughout.
Crews from Iola, Parsons and Thayer fire departments assisted in battling the blaze.
Iola Fire Chief Corey Isbell said four IFD personnel were summoned, utilizing the city’s ladder truck and an ambulance stationed in Humboldt.
Isbell said the Humboldt ambulance was not needed to transport patients.
The Iola crews returned at 5:30 a.m.
The number and extent of injuries has yet to be announced.
THE APARTMENTS are owned by Premier Real Estate Management, based in Brookfield, Wis.
Casey Duffey, company president, said Thursday morning that the complex had been fully occupied. The facility has a mixture of two- and three-bedroom units.
“We don’t know anything yet about the cause. It’s very, very unfortunate,” Duffey said.
The building had sprinkler systems, fire alarms and smoke detectors, which apparently all functioned, Duffey said.
Duffey estimated the building was about 15 years old.
