Butler fire prompts residents to evacuate apartment Thursday
Renee Biertempfel, an artist, held a hard drive of her digital illustrations spanning over 20 years, a teddy bear given to her by her grandfather at four years old, her cat’s ashes and her phone on Thursday night as she watched firefighters emerge from the burning apartment building on the 100 block of South Cliff Street.
Everything else, apart from her “most beloved items,” was in the building, which she feared would go up in smoke.
Biertempfel, who illustrates children’s books and works for a publishing company, was one of at least two residents evacuated from the building Thursday night after a fire was reported on the second floor shortly before 9:30 p.m.
“Our whole lives are in there,” she said.
Biertempfel said she evacuated the building when she smelled something burning from what she said was a neighboring tenant’s apartment.
“I heard a ruckus and I smelled something,” she said. “So I just got my most beloved items, and then my neighbor’s yelling at me to come out.”
The neighbor — Valerie Hill — was pounding on her window, she said.
“She’s pounding on my window, I’m rushing to go get these small things, so I don’t lose them, just in case,” Biertempfel said.
She said she planned to spend the night with a friend.
Hill, who has lived in the building for nearly three years, said she didn’t smell smoke until she evacuated the building. She said she heard neighbors pounding on her door to alert her.
“Somebody called, pounding the door, and I was just getting ready to go to bed,” she said.
Outside, she held her dog, Bentley.
After being asked whether she had a place to stay the night, Hill said she was hoping to get ahold of her son.
Butler Bureau of Fire, Butler Township Volunteer Fire District, Butler City Police and Butler Township police departments were among those responding to the scene.
No further information was available Thursday evening.
This story was updated April 19, 2024 to reflect that at least two residents were evacuated. A previous version of this story incorrectly said at least two residents were displaced.
