UPDATED: Fire that destroyed apartment complex started at electrical outlet

Corbin Fire Chief Barry McDonald said the state fire marshal has not released his final report into the fire that destroyed an apartment building at 602 North Kentucky Street Thursday, but it appears to have started in an electrical outlet in the end apartment (apt. 3)

McDonald said the outlet is on the first floor of the apartment near a television.

"We couldn’t tell if anything was plugged into the outlet," McDonald said when asked whether the outlet was overloaded with too many devices drawing power from it.

McDonald said the fire also benefited from the three units in the building sharing a common attic space, meaning the walls dividing the units did not extend all the way up to the roof.

"The winds just blew in there like a chimney," McDonald said.

As they were battling the blaze, McDonald said firefighters were unable to confirm whether anyone was remaining inside as the intensity of the fire kept them from getting inside.

However, firefighters later learned that everyone had been accounted for, though two of the occupants did lose pets in the fire.

Firefighters were called to the scene just after 3 p.m.

"It (fire) was coming out of the windows, out the roof and out the back," said Corbin Fire Chief Barry McDonald, who was the first firefighter on the scene.

Firefighters quickly had two hoses working to battle the blaze and used the ladder truck to hit it from above.

McDonald said every time it appeared firefighters were getting the upper hand, a heavy gust of wind hit the holes the fire had burned into the back of the building, causing the fire to flare up again.

McDonald sent out a call for manpower and West Knox and Woodbine volunteer firefighters responded.

However, the fire had burned completely through the roof and the back of the building.