Update at 9:36 a.m. The Fire at The Dusty Bookshelf is out, according to a tweet by the Riley County Police Department. An investigation is beginning.
An early-morning fire at The Dusty Bookshelf in Aggieville is contained to the building, but not under control as of 7:45 a.m. this morning.
The Manhattan Fire Department received a call at 3:45 a.m. today that said smoke was coming from the building, Ryan Almes, deputy chief for the Manhattan Fire Department, said.
When firefighters arrived on the scene, there was smoke coming from the east-side of the building.Related:
Building of The Dusty Bookshelf 'a total loss'
“Our crews made an interior attack on the fire and were able to put some of the fire out, but the fire was in some concealed spaces and conditions inside the building worsened, and we pulled our crews out of the building,” Almes said.
The crews are now battling the fire in a “defensive attack,” which means they are working to control the fire by spraying water from outside the building as it is too dangerous to be inside.
The cause of the fire is not known, but Almes said the State Fire Marshall’s office will be at the scene soon to help with the investigation.
The Dusty Bookshelf does have a building permit and was under construction, Almes said.
No injuries have been reported. Oliver, the cat of The Dusty Bookshelf, as well as all their books, are reported safe according to a Facebook post by the The Dusty Bookshelf. The books and Oliver had previously been moved out of the building for the remodel.Related:
The Dusty Bookshelf fire as told by Twitter
Almes said there is heavy smoke damage to both Varsity Donuts and Thread.
“We will probably be here all day (controlling the fire),” Almer said.
