FARGO (KFGO) – The cause of a September fire that heavily damaged an apartment building in south Fargo was smoking on a balcony.
Fire Marshal Ryan Erickson says the investigation determined that the blaze at The West Wind Apartments on 42nd St. S was unintentional. Erickson says the fire originated on a 2nd-floor balcony. The official cause was improperly discarded smoking materials. The wind was a significant factor in the Sept. 25 fire, which spread quickly. The significance of the blaze prompted a third alarm, providing in-fill at stations left empty by the large response of on-duty fire crews. The West Fargo Fire Dept. also responded to the scene.
Many tenants of the 52-unit building were temporarily displaced. Erickson says total losses added up to about $500,000. That included $350,000 in damages to the building and $150,000 in personal property.