Fire damages North Liberty apartment complex

Officials on the scene of a large fire at a North Liberty apartment complex said no residents or firefighters were injured in a blaze that required assistance from five cities.

North Liberty fire Capt. Craig Voparil said authorities received a 911 call about the fire at the Beaver Kreek Center at 4:35 p.m. When crews arrived, the entire back of the eight-unit building was engulfed in flames.

Voparil said no one was found inside the building, but all units experienced fire, smoke, and water damage. Businesses in the first-floor strip mall of the complex sustained water damage.

Emergency units from North Liberty, Iowa City, Coralville, Solon and Tiffin responded to the fire.

“It was a very big fire,” Voparil said. “North Liberty hasn't had a fire for a while, and this is probably the biggest one we've had in 2012.”

Megan Andersen, 30, who lives in a neighboring building and called 911, said she came home and saw flames coming from the back of the Beaver Kreek building, stretching to the roof. Andersen said officials told her to evacuate the building and crews arrived 10 minutes later.

“The heat did get really intense as the flames continued to go over the roof,” Andersen said, adding that onlookers had to back up because it got so warm. “I'm grateful it wasn't my apartment and my stuff, but it makes me treasure life and the people around me.”