Sunday Night Fire Leave Heavy Damage to Wenatchee Apartments

Police says fireworks are the suspected cause of a fire in south Wenatchee overnight that left heavy damage to an apartment building.

Large flames burned 12 units at 220 Antles Avenue, which is the site of the Aspen Heights Condominiums. All of the occupants were displaced and are being assisted by the Red Cross

The front of the apartments facing Mission Street received the most damaged leaving the building and ground shrubbery heavily charred.

Kay McKellar with the Wenatchee Fire Department says the fire may have spread from close by bushes. "As well as the building there were arborvitae bushes which do provide fuel when they're next to a structure," said McKellar. "And that usually causes a structure to ignite fast because arborvitae are very volatile."

The Wenatchee Police Department and the fire department are conducting separate investigations into the fire.

Most of the windows on the front side of the apartment building were taken out during the fire. The backside of the building where the apartment entrances are located had minimal damage. The fire department says quick response and firewalls helped prevent the blaze from spreading to adjacent buildings.

Two members of the Chelan County Fire District 1 stayed at the fire site all night to make sure there was no rekindling.