The residents of the wood frame apartment building at 300 S. Wilson were displaced by a fire that started when a wall furnace in an upstairs apartment ignited a nearby stack of newspapers.
The Jefferson fire department was called to the fire Friday at 3:49 am. The upstairs southeast apartment was heavily damaged and the remaining four apartments in the building received smoke and water damage. The fire department was at the scene for about two hours, Jefferson fire chief Randy Love said.
According to Love, two of the apartments are occupied. The Carroll unit of the Red Cross was called to the scene to assist the occupants with temporary shelter and other needs.
The Jefferson police department, the Greene County sheriff’s office and Greene County Emergency Medical Service also responded to the fire.
The Greene County assessor’s website shows the building was constructed in 1900. It was purchased last July by Heather and Abdelbaky Ryan.
