LEWISTOWN - An evening cooking on a charcoal grill Friday turned into an immense blaze that destroyed an apartment complex on 100 N. Walnut St. in Lewistown.

Fire officials said the fire began around 4:30 p.m. when a tenant who resided in apartment No. 8 was cooking on a grill on the third story balcony of the apartment complex.

"We got a report of a guy cooking on a charcoal grill ... he was trying to put it out when it (the fire) got away from him," Deputy Chief of Lewistown Fire Dept. Bob Douglas said.

Although the building is built of block, the blaze took off and engulfed the third floor balcony and the remainder of the structure. The heat from the flames were so intense that the home adjacent to the totaled structure, along with homes across the street, had melted the siding.

Fire officials said Friday evening there weren't any civilian injuries "that we are aware of." However, they said six firefighters were taken to Lewistown Hospital for minor injuries, treated and released.

According to fire officials, less than 20 people occupied the eight-unit apartment building and no one injured as a result of the fire.

"Everyone was out safely ... everyone was accounted for," Douglas added.

Fire officials said the fire took about three and a half hours to get under control.

A representative from the American Red Cross confirmed Friday evening that volunteers were in the process of assisting six families from the destroyed dwelling.

Thanks To Centre Hall and Alpha Fire Company for the transfer assignment.

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