Firefighters battle apartment building blaze

A Rexburg apartment building went up in smoke Sunday afternoon.

According to Madison County Fire Chief Corey Child, crews were called to the Mountain Pines Apartments on West Viking Drive at 2:20 p.m.

Child said the fire started in the floor space between the second and third stories, causing smoke to come out of two apartments. He believes the fire had been burning for some time before one person noticed smoke coming from a closet and called the fire department.

Investigators say the fire was caused by electrical issues.

The apartment building sustained an estimated $75,000 in damage, both from the fire and a broken water heater and water pipes.

“It was lucky someone had been home at the time to call the fire department,” Capt. Chris Huskinson said in a press release. “Given the age of the building, the potential for the fire to grow rapidly was certainly present.”