A 42-unit apartment building in northwest Mandan was severely damaged by fire Sunday.
The blaze was reported shortly after noon. Firefighters say it began in a third floor patio – and spread throughout the upper floor.
"The entire third floor was consumed," said Morton County Emergency Manager Tom Doehring. "It will be uninhabitable, and it will have to be reconstructed."
Fire crews from Mandan, Bismarck, the nearby Marathon Oil Refinery, and rural departments responded. They fought the blaze in 90-plus degree heat and humid conditions.
"It doesn't help that the humidity is crazy and the heat is crazy," said Mandan Deputy Police Chief Lori Flaten. "But everybody's working together here."
No injuries were reported, but some firefighters did suffer from heat exhaustion.
"It's a little hard to work up there, when you put that gear on and work in these conditions," Flaten said.
Displaced residents were offered shelter at the nearby Mandan middle school. And the Red Cross was stationed in the middle school parking lot, offering water and other assistance.
"Whether it's water or lodging or financial assistance, it depends on the needs of each individual," said Red Cross disaster program manager Shelby Pudwill.
The cause has not yet been determined.
