Grease fire likely cause of apartment blaze that displaced 14 people

More than a dozen people were forced from their homes Monday night in a west Macon apartment fire.

Just after 9:45 p.m., Macon-Bibb County firefighters were called to Riverbend Apartments at 3645 Mercer University Drive.

Fire investigator Lt. Ben Gleaton said one of the residents told firefighters the blaze started in her kitchen in building No. 7 at the back of the complex near Bloomfield Road.

"She was cooking and the grease caught on fire," Gleaton said.

He counted 14 people displaced from the fire as flames damaged four of the eight units in the building and smoke and water damaged the rest.

"It burned the roof off one half of it," Gleaton said.

No one was hurt in the fire.

Gleaton was back at the scene Tuesday morning to get a look at the damage in the daylight and take pictures as part of the investigation.

This story was originally published January 30, 2018 at 9:47 AM with the headline "Grease fire likely cause of apartment blaze that displaced 14 people."