(Estherville)– We’re learning some additional details into a fire Monday evening that destroyed an apartment building at 203 South 28th Street in Estherville.
In a press release, Fire Chief Travis Sheridan says it’s believed the fire started outside of the apartment complex. He says the exact cause is still under investigation. He says there were four apartments in the building occupied by several elderly and disabled residents.
Sheridan says firefighters went through the building to check for anyone still inside and encountered a locked door on one of the apartments. He says Eli Fehr of the Wallingford Fire Department and Emmet County Sheriff’s Deputy David Greenwald could hear someone inside. They, along with Estherville Police Officer Jacob Hinrickson and a nearby businessman, Jason Edwards, made entry into the apartment and pulled the victim out of the smoke and fire. That resident was then taken to the hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation. Sheridan says if it wasn’t for the heroic actions of those four men, there very well could have been at least one fatality.
The building was destroyed in the blaze and a neighboring garage was damaged.
