Gettysburg Drive apartment fire ruled accidental

Posted on March 7, 2018

By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington fire investigators have determined the blaze that destroyed an apartment building on Gettysburg Drive last month was an accidental cooking fire.

The Feb. 10 blaze that raged for hours gutted the 12-unit apartment building. The damage was estimated at $650,000. A Bloomington firefighter suffered minor injuries fighting the fire.

The Bloomington Fire Department has not issued any additional details are the fire.

Documents previously revealed more than 200 code violations that an inspector noted against the owner. The city had tried in December to get the building demolished by taking the owner, Wayne Pelhank, to court.

Pelhank owns other apartments the 900 block of West Front Street and the 900 block of West Grove Street that faced more than 500 code violations. City officials say he has been making repairs to those buildings.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].

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