A Friday night fire that displaced more than 40 residents at a Chanticleer Apartments building, located at 602 Park Circle, is believed to be accidental, according to Columbus Fire and Rescue Chief Charles Yarbrough.
Yarbrough told The Dispatch an investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s office Monday revealed no accelerants had been used in the fire. However, the source of the blaze has not been identified.
CFR responded at about 11:30 p.m. to the apartments, where Yarbrough said firefighters spent about three hours working to extinguish the blaze, which impacted 16 units.
About 43 residents, including 14 children, lost most or all of their belongings, said Glenda Richardson, community liaison for Columbus Police Department.
Of those impacted, seven residents were placed in available units in other buildings at the complex, she said. The Golden Triangle Regional Homeless Coalition provided rooms for five residents at the Regal Inn, while the remaining residents stayed with friends and family, coalition president Susan Garton told The Dispatch on Monday.
This is the second fire at the Chanticleer Apartment complex since 2022, when a blaze destroyed six units and displaced more than 20 residents. Those units were later demolished.
Gary Walden, property manager for the apartments through Red Rock Realty Group, declined to speak with The Dispatch on Monday regarding the fires.
The city is collecting donations for displaced residents, including clothing, shoes, toiletries, bedding and towels, air mattresses, kitchen items, small appliances and general household goods. Items can be dropped off at Fire Station 1 on Seventh Street from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
“CFR did an excellent job upon initial attack,” Yarbrough wrote in a text to The Dispatch. “Their aggressive offensive saved a number of apartments.”
Reporter Cadence Harvey contributed to this report.
McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.
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