Large apartment fire displaces 19 people; town praises mutual-aid response, investigation likely accidental

Town officials reported on a large apartment fire that occurred Saturday evening and displaced 19 people across eight apartments.

The incident began at about 6:40 p.m.; responding units called for mutual aid and a tanker task force to support water supply. Officials said the fire effectively destroyed one building and that crews established aerial master streams to control the blaze. "Because of their working with us it made my job … when you got an apartment complex as big as this," a town official said, praising interagency cooperation.

The town reported one firefighter suffered superficial injuries and returned to duty the following day. No civilian fatalities were reported. Officials said they estimate they flowed between 250,000 and 300,000 gallons of water on the incident and that containment required multiple aerial devices and mutual-aid tankers.

Investigators have not yet released a final cause, but officials said the incident is under investigation and is most likely accidental. Town staff described challenges related to older construction and building code differences (for example, lack of sprinklers or attic fire separations in older buildings) and noted that modern code changes — such as required fire walls and sprinklers — can materially change outcomes.

Local leaders also said emergency response and neighbor assistance helped residents salvage personal items and locate displaced neighbors and pets; two cats were reported missing at the time of the discussion, one later found deceased and one still unaccounted for.

The town said follow-up actions will include continued investigation and coordination with affected residents about recovery resources.