KISH apartments on fire (140 units)

**PAMedic=F|A=** · December 8th, 2021, 08:10 AM

Units from at least four counties already involved. Evacuation of building on going. Avoid the region. Off duty hospital personal have been called in.

At least 2 counties stripped of EMS units.

**Noah_Zark** · December 8th, 2021, 08:56 AM

Originally Posted by PAMedic=F|A=

. . . Avoid the region.

Where exactly is this region of which you speak?

Asking for a friend, so that he may avoid it.

Noah

**streaker69** · December 8th, 2021, 12:08 PM

Region avoided.

**father-of-five** · December 8th, 2021, 12:14 PM

In Lewistown?

**PAMedic=F|A=** · December 8th, 2021, 07:04 PM

Originally Posted by father-of-five

In Lewistown?

Yea.

Cause me to get off work late. Buildings like that rapidly turn into *a thing*.

**gghbi** · December 8th, 2021, 10:15 PM

Fire damages Kish Apartments
Local News

Dec 8, 2021

LEWISTOWN * A fire on the seventh floor of Kish Apartments Wednesday morning has caused several residents to be temporarily displaced and for two to be transported to a local hospital.

The Sentinel is on scene and will provide a full report in Thursday*s edition.

https://www.lewistownsentinel.com/ne...sh-apartments/

**Daycrawler** · December 8th, 2021, 11:30 PM

Originally Posted by streaker69

Region avoided.

X this is not a drill.

**PAMedic=F|A=** · December 11th, 2021, 08:40 PM

Mayor: Fire damage to Kish Apartments *a lot worse*

Community comes to aid of displaced

Dec 11, 2021
Local News
Erin Thompson
Education/religion editor
ethompson@lewistownsentinel.com

Sentiel photo by BRIAN COX
Firefighters work to knock out a portion of an exterior wall in a seventh-floor unit Wednesday morning at Kish Apartments in Lewistown.

LEWISTOWN * More than 40 apartments are uninhabitable for at least a month as a result of the Wednesday morning fire at Kish Apartments in Lewistown.

Donations are being accepted at Juniata Valley Bank in an effort to fund temporary housing for 45 residents displaced by the devastating fire.

Lewistown Fire Department Chief Bob Barlett said one seventh floor apartment was *totally destroyed* and the whole *Lewistown* wing has been deemed condemned for the time being.

*Water went down through several floors and got into the electrical system,* he said. *With no electricity in one wing, we can*t have people staying there.*

Other wings of the apartment complex were undamaged.

Fire restoration crews are working 10 hours a day, Barlett said. *And they will continue working until they get everything taken care of. We*re receiving a lot of support from the community, residents and organizations. The community of Lewistown is great. They help each other out. That is very much appreciated.*

The Red Cross was also able to give displaced residents enough cash to fund two nights of lodging.

Barlett said the fire has been ruled an accident.

Lewistown Mayor Deb Bargo said Friday that apartments will need extensive work to pass a codes inspection.

*It*s a mess,* she said. *It*s a lot worse than we initially thought.*

The water damage to the apartment building was devastating.

*With the drainage coming down from the top floor, water was coming through the outlets*We*re trying to get people placed where we can,* she said.

Many displaced residents were able to stay with family and friends, while others were placed in hotel rooms. The fund at JVB would pay for hotel rooms, she said.

*The cost to fix that place up * I can*t even imagine because the water was contaminated. Luckily there are firewalls between apartments,* to keep the fire from spreading further.

Bargo said she was appreciative of emergency responders and community members for their support.

*The immediate response from the fire department, police department, Fame EMS, and the support from the community shows what kind of community we live in. People are caring. When we have a disaster like this, people come out in full force. I*m sure the residents of this area will stick with us through the whole thing,* Bargo said.

Local churches plan to take up a special offering to offset the cost of hotel rooms, said Pastor Randy Hughes, of First United Methodist Church in Lewistown, who is leading the fundraising effort.

*I*m excited that we have a network of churches in our county that work really closely with each other,* he said. *We live in an awesome county, I think.*

To donate, write checks to Kish Apartments with the subject like *Resident*s assistance,* at Juniata Valley Bank. A GoFundMe account has also been set up by a community member for victims who have been displaced by the fire.

Kish Apartments did not immediately return messages left on Friday.

https://www.lewistownsentinel.com/ne...s-a-lot-worse/