Fire In Centerton Started After Oxygen Tank Ignited

A fire that displaced 12 families and destroyed a Centerton apartment building Saturday began after a home oxygen tank ignited in a first-floor bedroom, Benton County Fire Marshal Marc Trollinger said Sunday.

No injuries were reported, but one dog died in the blaze. No other animals were hurt, Trollinger said. The fire is considered accidental, he said.

The fire at Pomeroy Place Apartments, 113 Sadie Lane, started on the first floor of Building 500, vented through a window and climbed up into the roof, Trollinger said. Strong winds flamed the blaze, he said.

The building is a total loss and structurally unsound, Trollinger said. Losses, including renters' belongings, are estimated to run roughly $500,000 total, he said. Insurance investigators are expected to be on the scene today, he said.

The American Red Cross put six families, or 10 people, in hotels for two nights, said Rick Harvey, communications specialist with the American Red Cross in Arkansas, Northwest Arkansas chapter. The remaining residents had places to stay with family and friends, Harvey said.

The Red Cross helped about 33 people who were displaced because of the fire, Harvey said. Residents were in shock, he said.

A donation center set up by the Centerton mayor Saturday had received all immediate-need donations needed to help families by Sunday afternoon, Mayor Bill Edwards said in a message Sunday. Community members donated enough items to fill up a garage and church building, he said.

Edwards is still looking for someone who would allow the use of a nearby warehouse for the donations, he said.

The investigation into the fire, including how the oxygen tank ignited, will continue today, Trollinger said.

NW News on 04/14/2014

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