At approximately 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 10, 2011, Sioux Falls Fire Rescue was dispatched to a reported structure fire. Firefighters found an apartment building with smoke throughout the hallways on all three floors with residents evacuating. Firefighters completed evacuating residents and found the fire in the stairwell. Firefighters were able to confine the fire to the stairwell and quickly extinguish it.

Fire and smoke damage was confined to the stairwell and hallways of the building. Fire crews ventilated the apartment building to remove the smoke and make it safe for residents to return to their apartments. There were no civilian or Firefighter injuries. The fire is suspicious in nature, and the investigation is ongoing by Sioux Falls Fire Rescue and the Sioux Falls Police Department.

Sioux Falls Fire Rescue responded with 31 personnel in eight fire trucks and three support vehicles. Fire crews were assisted at the scene by the Sioux Falls Police Department, Red Cross, Sioux Falls Public Works, Rural/Metro Ambulance, and Mid American Energy.