At around 1:45 a.m. on Friday, April 17, residents of the Turnberry Place apartments on Ehlmann Rd. in St. Peters called 911 when they awoke to find the deck of a third-floor apartment on fire.
When Central County Fire & Rescue crews arrived on the scene, they saw heavy fire coming from the third floor, spreading to the attic and being accelerated by high winds. Due to the size of the fire, and the number of residents involved, three alarms were called bringing 50 firefighters from four departments to the scene.
As 911 was dispatching CCFR to the call, a St. Peters Police Department officer noticed the heavy smoke billowing into the sky. The officer requested additional officers to assist in evacuating the building. Working together, the first responders ensured everyone was safely out of the building and extinguished the fire.
“Fires in the middle of the night, when everyone is home, can be among the most dangerous since residents are usually asleep. The quick actions of those officers helped us ensure all the residents were able to get out safely before fire and smoke overwhelmed their apartments,” said CCFR Deputy Chief and Public Information Officer Jason Meinershagen.
The St. Charles County Ambulance District treated and released one resident at the scene, and one firefighter was transported to a hospital with minor injuries. The firefighter is expected to fully recover.
The Central County Community Assistance Program responded to provide assistance and resources to the 22 families who were directly impacted by the fire, along with hydration and nutrition for the first responders.
The Cottleville Fire Protection District, St. Charles Fire Department, O’Fallon Fire Protection District, Lake Saint Louis Fire Protection District, and St. Charles County Ambulance District assisted on the call.
“Through our mutual aid agreement we train and respond with these agencies on a regular basis. This ongoing partnership is critically important in keeping our community safe,” said Meinershagen.
CCFR investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire that caused extensive fire damage to eight apartments, and water damage to every unit in the building. Donations for those impacted by the fire can be delivered to the Turnberry Apartments office, 100 Turnberry Place, St. Peters, MO 63376 or by calling 636-477-0440.
“A total of 22 families were directly affected by this fire, many of whom lost everything they own. This last month has been extremely challenging for every family in our community, so now more than ever these residents need support from the community,” said Meinershagen.