Officials are investigating the cause of a fire that started small, but filled the apartment at 324 W. Koenig St., with smoke. The building is part of the National Register of Historic Places.
Residents evacuated themselves, before fire officials arrived on the scene. The officials blocked
Walnut and Koenig Street to contain the fire.
The evacuation lasted for more than an hour, and ,any residents waiting to get back into their homes said didn't have time to gather their belongings.
"It was really hard to get downstairs with breathing all the smoke and everything. We got out here as fast as we could, I was really scared," said Brent, a resident.
Investigators found a burnt item in the basement where the fire started. They did not confirm that item, but say it looked like heavy cushion.
The smoke spread from the basement, to all three floors above it.
Sgt. Sheeks, Grand Island Police, said "I don't know how it started, but it was in the hallway, not in an apartment. "
Interim Fire Chief for Grand Island, Russ Blackburn, said "Everybody made it out safely," but he added, one fire fighter suffered a minor injury.
