Two families were displaced Tuesday afternoon after a fire in the attic an apartment structure caused fire damage to one apartment and water damage to another.
A neighbor to the 701 McKay Way apartment noticed the smoke from the roof and contacted emergency personnel shortly before 1 p.m.
“From what I got, a neighbor across the street saw the smoke and called it in right away,” Waterloo Fire Chief Vern Butzine said. The chief praised the neighbor for taking quick action. “It would have been a heck of a lot worst if that person had not called it in. It is a lightweight construction and a firefighter’s nightmare,” he added.
The resident of the apartment and adjoining apartment were not home at the time. Other apartment residents were evacuated.
The fire started in the attic area. “When the first initial crew went up into the apartment, they could only see as far as their hand in front of them. It was full of smoke,” the chief said.