UPDATE 8 p.m.: Roanoke Fire-EMS released new details about Thursday afternoon’s building fire in southwest Roanoke.
Roanoke Fire-EMS says crews responded to an apartment building fire on the 500 block of 6th Street SW around 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 30, which ended up being a “second alarm” fire.
The fire was determined to be accidental and caused by a faulty heating and air conditioning unit, according to fire officials.
The department says the Cotton Mill Lofts fire displaced nine residents, who are receiving assistance from the Red Cross.
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ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — Smoke filled the air as a building fire broke out in downtown Roanoke on Thursday afternoon.
Smoke rose from the Cotton Mill Lofts apartment building located on 6th Street SW on Thursday, June 30.
Building resident Les Phelps told WFXR News that he came home from grocery shopping around 3:30 p.m. when he saw black smoke coming from the roof of the building.
Phelps went inside to tell the building manager, who immediately pulled the fire alarms.
(Photo: Rhian Lowndes/WFXR News) 
(Photo: Rhian Lowndes/WFXR News)
First responders arrived minutes later.
“I’ve had tornados, I’ve been through floods. This is my first fire. Hopefully, it didn’t hurt my apartment; hopefully, the sprinklers didn’t go off on my end of the building, so, we’ll see,” Phelps said.
The cause of the fire and the extent of damage to the building has not been released. WFXR News has reached out to Roanoke Fire-EMS for more information.
