Ellen Gerst
Casper Star Tribune, Wyo.
(MCT)
Mar. 23—A large fire at an unoccupied Mills apartment building earlier this month was caused by “combustible materials” stacked near a heater, a release from the city’s fire department said Wednesday.
There was no evidence that the fire was intentionally set, investigators concluded.
天气- namely, high winds — as well as the “sheer size” of the blaze contributed to the severity of the fire. It took nearly a full day of firefighting for the fire to be declared completely out. Every fire agency in Natrona County responded to the blaze.
There were no injuries reported as a result of the fire.
The investigation lasted 20 days, and involved teams from local and federal fire and law enforcement agencies, according to the release. Crews had to wait a few days after the fire was extinguished to start investigating, Mills Fire Chief Bob Lanz said, since the scene was unsafe.
Lanz estimated “millions of gallons” of water were used to put out the flames. He could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.
The fire claimed the entire building on Poison Spider Road and Falcon Avenue near the Maverik in Mills. It was about 90% finished with its construction, and had planned to welcome residents as soon as mid-April.
Wednesday’s release said the owner’s insurance company will now evaluate the site to determine the amount of damage.
A second building in the Cornerstone apartment complex was not affected by the fire.
Follow city and crime reporter Ellen Gerst on Twitter at @ellengerst.
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