UPDATE: Two South Bend apartment fires leave residents without home

October 31, 2011|WSBT-TV Report

Monday update: Fire Marshal Dave Cherrone says an electrical malfunction of some sort caused the fire at Castle Point Apartments Saturday night. He says it had nothing to do with the wiring of the building. They know where the fire started and are looking at what was plugged in at the apartment at the time of the fire. He said they will be able to pinpoint the exact cause in a day or two.

SOUTH BEND – For the second night in a row, firefighters responded to a fire inside of a South Bend apartment complex.

On Saturday evening, firefighters were called to the 1800 block of Coachmans trail located at Castle Point apartments around 9:15 p.m.

Only one apartment was involved in the fire.

Still, the entire building was evacuated, and according to the Clay Fire Territory Fire Marshal, at least eight of those residents were out of their homes for at least a short time.

First responders were able to put out the fire within minutes.

"It was confined to that apartment and the room of that apartment, but because of where it is located there are a total of 8 apartments that are displaced right now,” said Fire Marshall Dave Cherrone.

According to neighbors, the person inside of the apartment, where the fire started, woke up and smelled smoke.

"I've been here for 3 and a half years and you just depend on the safety of others in your building,” said Harry Platt, who had to evacuate his apartment. “The building right behind me caught on fire last year, there was a building over there, caught on fire so it happens."

Castle Point apartments are owned by the same company that owns the Park Jefferson apartment complex, where there was a large fire Friday night.

Some of the victims from Friday’s fire were actually put up in vacant apartments at Castle Point.

The Park Jefferson fire destroyed 16 apartments, leaving 13 families without a home. Everyone was able to get out of the building safely.

But there is a long history of fires at Park Jefferson as well.

This is just the latest fire in an apartment complex that has been devastated by flames year after year.

Only days before Christmas last year, flames ripped through eight units after a pan was left on a stove.

In March of 2009, the apartment's clubhouse was destroyed where a beauty solon, pool, and rental office were all located.

Also, in April of 2007, an arson burnt 50 people out of their homes in Park Jefferson.

There have been at least seven fires since 2003 at Park Jefferson. Investigators are still looking into the cause of Friday night's fire.

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