Man critically injured in Maryville apartment fire, chief says

A middle-of-the-night fire damaged a Maryville apartment and left a man in critical condition.

Firefighters were called to the apartment complex on Patty Drive at about 3:40 a.m. Wednesday. The blaze was contained to one unit in the six-apartment structure thanks to fire-rated walls and a prompt emergency response, said Maryville Fire Chief Doug Dankenbring.

“The affected apartment is in bad shape, but the building did its job and fire crews made a quick response to the fire,” he said.

A man inside the apartment was transported to a local hospital in critical condition, said Dankenbring, who could not elaborate on the nature of the man’s injuries. He was the lone occupant of the apartment “as far as we know at this time,” Dankenbring said.

Dankenbring also wouldn’t comment on a potential cause of the fire, pending an investigation by the Illinois Fire Marshal’s office.

Mutual aid was provided by Collinsville, Glen Carbon and Troy fire departments.

Patty Drive is located just west of Illinois 159 and loops north of Anthony Drive with a series of single-story brick apartment buildings. Six hours after the fire, residents of the other units in the building had not been cleared to return to their homes.

“The American Red Cross would’ve given us financial assistance, but there wasn’t any physical damage on the inside of the apartment,” said Gregory Harris, 70, who lives in one of the adjoining units in the complex.

“I guess we’ve gotta get out the credit and debit cards and fend for ourselves.”

Dankenbring said the residents will be able to return once officials know it’s safe.

“We’re not letting anybody back into that apartment building until we can structurally verify that the building is safe and safe to reoccupy for everyone and not just the affected apartment,” he said.

This story was originally published December 20, 2023 at 10:54 AM.