Two people are dead, one person has been flown to the University of Louisville Burn Center and five others have been transported to Frankfort Regional Medical Center following a fire at Leawood Square Apartments Thursday morning.

Frankfort Fire and EMS talk with Mayor Pro Tem Katrisha Waldridge after two people were killed and six others injured following a fire at an apartment complex on Leawood Drive Thursday morning. (Chanda Veno | State Journal)

Frankfort Fire Chief Wayne Briscoe told The State Journal that a passerby reported an alarm going off at 804 Leawood Drive near Deepwood Drive around 8:30 a.m. Soon after, calls began streaming into 911.

“When the first crew arrived there was heavy fire throughout the building,” Briscoe said.

There are two known fatalities and a third person, who suffered burns, was flown by helicopter to Louisville. Franklin County Coroner Will Harrod has not yet released the identities of the victims.

The fire chief said five others were taken to the local hospital with unknown injuries. At least one person was hurt after jumping from a window.

“It’s heartbreaking. You pull up and people have lost their homes and belongings,” Briscoe stated. “But here you have people who have lost their lives.”

The origin of the fire is not yet known and Briscoe said that the investigation could take days.

The fire was a difficult one for crews to battle because of the many walls inside the apartment building, which included a total of 14 units. According to Briscoe, there was some fire hidden on the third floor and the building suffered significant damage.

“It’s unfortunate,” explained Mayor Layne Wilkerson. “We’ve got to get to the bottom of how it started and hopefully prevent future occurrences.”

The building, along with 803 and 805 Leawood Drive, was purchased in March 2020. Peach Properties — Canterberry sold it to PR Fieldstone LLC for $1.113 million, Franklin County Property Valuation Administrator records indicate. PR Fieldstone LLC also owns several other buildings in the Thistleton area.

In addition to city firefighters, other agencies that helped include the Franklin County Fire Department, Frankfort Police Department, Anderson County Fire Department and Anderson County EMS.

No first responders were injured.

The American Red Cross and Frankfort-Franklin County Emergency Management are partnering to help those who were displaced by the fire.