The damage to a 36-unit Geary Estates apartment complex building in Grandview Plaza has been placed at more than $1 million dollars.  The building located at 1103-1111 Cannon View is considered a total loss.  It is one of several buildings in that complex, but none of the others were damaged.

There were no injuries in the Saturday night fire which  has been listed by authorities as a natural causes fire caused by a lightning strike earlier in the day.

At 5:23 p.m. Saturday firefighters responded to a lightning strike at the apartment  complex in Grandview Plaza. Firefighters checked the roof of the structure for damage and located four spots where lightning had struck, but no fire or flames were located. The interior of the building was also checked for smoke and fire. The Red Cross worked with the apartment complex staff to arrange housing for the displaced residents.

Gerry Berges, Geary County Rural Fire Chief, reported at approximately 8:30 p.m., Grandview Plaza firefighters who were still on scene smelled something burning. They located a small fire on the east side of the complex in the area of the roof eaves. Fire extinguishers were used to try to put the fire out from inside the building. Both Junction City and Fort Riley Fire Departments again responded with ladder trucks, and Geary County Rural Fire also responded with an engine to assist.

Thirty mile-per-hour plus easterly winds and water pressure in the area hampered the firefighters. Fire personnel were sent inside to help expose a fire wall to help prevent the fire from spreading to the north into the other apartments and attic areas.

The fire was considered under control by 11 p.m.

An investigator from the State Fire Marshal’s Office arrived on scene Sunday morning. A drone from Dickinson County Fire District 1 arrived and did aerial video and photography for investigators.   More than 40 firefighters from the different agencies combined including Grandview Plaza Fire and Police, Junction City Fire / EMS, Ft. Riley Fire, Geary County Sheriff, Geary County Fire, and Geary County Emergency Management worked at the scene of the blaze.