Mannford senior apartment building demolished months after wildfire damage

Nearly six months after wildfires swept through the Mannford area, crews have started demolishing part of a senior apartment complex that was damaged in the flames.

Video sent by a resident shows construction underway at the Mannford Senior Apartments on Farrow Drive, a multi-building complex impacted by the March 14 wildfires. Although firefighters managed to save most of the property, one of the buildings, identified as Building 3, was partially burned and now must come down entirely.

The Fire and Immediate Response

The fire burned through about 40 percent of Building 3, according to Stephen Carney, director of Green Companies Development Group. Firefighters contained the flames before they could destroy the entire structure or spread to nearby buildings.

All residents were safely evacuated and many returned to find their apartments untouched. Eight tenants from the damaged building were relocated. Green Companies Development Group helped some residents find housing in nearby communities, while others found accommodations on their own.

Why Demolition Was Required

Although part of the building was still intact, Carney said insurance and city permitting requirements left them no choice but to take it all down.

“The insurance company has given us an adjuster report to talk about how much insurance will cover,” Carney said. “After that, we applied for a building permit with the city of Mannford to rebuild Building 3. We were told that the entire building needed to be demolished.”

The team initially hoped to save undamaged sections.

“We were planning to just demolish the damaged parts and try to keep whatever was not damaged,” Carney said. “The fire didn’t take out the whole building, just about 40 percent of it. After that, we got our demo permit approved and right now we’re in the process of getting the entire building scrapped and even taking out the concrete slab foundation.”

What’s Next for the Site?

Construction crews have now started work on clearing the structure and preparing to rebuild.

“We are aware of the work and we are the contractor,” Carney said. “We have a building permit to rebuild the structure as it was. The timeline for the project is expected to be completed in six to eight months.”

Carney added that once rebuilt, the property is expected to return to full capacity as part of the Mannford Senior Apartments community.