Large fire drives hundreds from apartment building in New Hope

A raging fire ripped through an apartment building in New Hope early Sunday, forcing the evacuation of more than 200 people and sending one resident to the hospital.

The fire began about 7:30 a.m. on the ground floor of the 98-unit complex in the 5600 block of Boone Avenue N., and quickly spread to the second and third balconies of the building, according to the West Metro Fire-Rescue District.

Crews from nine agencies responded to the blaze, which destroyed six apartments and left at least nine others badly damaged. Two quick-acting neighbors came to the rescue and helped residents escape the fire, officials said. One person was taken to the hospital with injuries, the extent of which were unknown.

Sarah Larson, chief of the West Metro Fire-Rescue District, said the blaze began as an appliance fire, though the exact cause was under investigation. It took about 70 firefighters less than an hour to bring the flames under control.

"Through a lot of effort, we were fortunately able to stop [the fire] at just six units," Larson said. "It happened at such a hard time of the morning because people are still sleeping."

Most of the residents who evacuated the building had returned by Sunday evening, she said, although a number of first-floor apartments are temporarily uninhabitable because of fire damage to the building's exits. The Red Cross was on site to help displaced residents and their families find temporary shelter.

"It was a significant fire and a reminder that exiting a building when you hear a fire alarm go off is incredibly important," Larson said. "We at times become complacent."