Oakdale Firefighers Help Battle Blaze at Apartment Building

Oakdale firefighters responded to a "major" blaze that broke out at apartment building on Ashwood Road in Woodbury early Monday morning.

Discarded smoking materials are believed to be the cause.

The Woodbury Fire Department responded to several 911 calls at about 1 a.m. Monday, Oct. 28, and found one side of the building at the 6900 block of Ashwood Road fully engulfed, said Cmdr. John Wallgren.

“You could see the fire a mile away,” he said. “It was roaring.”

No one was hurt.

Fire officials believe the discarded smoking materials were left on a second-floor balcony, Wallgren said, and by the time crews arrived there was fire from the ground floor to the top of the building.

“This was definitely a major fire,” he said.

There was debris blowing around and firefighters were concerned an adjacent building could catch fire, but that didn’t happen.

The fire caused extensive damage. Three units at the building are unlivable and residents in three others were kept out of their apartments, Wallgren said.

The American Red Cross assisted four adults and four children following the fire, helping the family with immediate needs such as shelter, clothing and food, according to a release from the organization.

The scene was cleared at about 4 a.m., Wallgren said.