Families displaced, apartment complex destroyed after fire in Owsley County

BOONEVILLE, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — Several families were displaced after a fire destroyed an eight-unit apartment building in Booneville early Sunday morning, according to the Booneville Owsley County Volunteer Fire Department.

Volunteer firefighter Michael Mason said crews arrived at Booneville Homes Apartments to find the two-story building engulfed in flames with heavy smoke.

“We didn’t have the manpower necessary for this type of structure fire,” Mason said. “And so we called for additional resources from the Lee County and Jackson City Fire Departments, and they sent some additional resources over.”

Mason said it took about an hour before crews were able to get a ladder to the scene and approximately three hours before the fire was brought under control.

Firefighters also attacked the flames from above using an aerial apparatus.

“We hit it from the top, especially with the aerial,” Mason said. “It’s putting in a lot of water. It will find its way down.”

Mason said all eight units in the building were destroyed, displacing the families who lived there. No injuries were reported.

The impact of the fire extended beyond the destroyed apartments. Mason said an office connected to the damaged building was affected, along with an attached laundromat, disrupting resources for the apartment complex.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.