A two-alarm fire in a local apartment building sent one male resident to the hospital with burns on his hand.
One resident and another occupant of an apartment were removed by Salem Police officers after fire broke out in the attic in the Aspen Meadows complex on 1017 Aspen Drive in Salem Thursday before 5p.
Salem Firefighters responded to the fire and were able to contain the blaze to the upper two apartments of the 905 Building.
According to Salem Fire Chief Tom Day, most of the roof above those apartments to make sure the fire was contained and extinguished.
“I was very pleased with how things progressed,” said Day. “The apartment complex had installed drywall in the attic as a fire preventative after a previous fire several years ago in another building. It helped keep the fire from spreading.”
Day said one male resident of the apartment had escaped the room soon after the fire broke out in what he believes is the attic above the apartment. He received burns to his hand and was transferred from the ER at St. Vincent Salem Hospital to the University of Louisville hospital.
Day said the Fire Marshall would be coming in today to help investigate but they are 90 percent sure the fire began in the attic above the apartment and was electrical in nature.
Salem Fire Department officers arrived on the scene and were able to remove another occupant of the apartment.
The two lower apartments on the west side of Building 905 were damaged with water and smoke. Day also said other apartments at the east end might have some smoke damage.
Aspen Meadows Apartments is a 48 unit complex complete with 1, 2, 3, and 4 bedroom apartments operated by Hoosier Uplands.
