EXCLUSIVE: FIRE DESTROYS BLOCKS OF INDUSTRY HAVEN; CAUSE UNKNOWN

INDUSTRY HAVEN--A fire event of unprecedented proportions enveloped several blocks of Industry Haven's Central Stratton and Dogville districts this afternoon, destroying three high-rise buildings and at least five more smaller buildings, effectively wiping out three blocks of Industry Haven's north central area. Casualty figures potentially are in the thousands, according to sources within two city hospitals. The cause remains completely unknown at this point, though all of Industry Haven's fire squad and its resources were employed to fight the fires.

At approximately 3:48 p.m. Saturday afternoon, several fires appeared to break out simultaneously on the upper floors of numerous buildings in Central Stratton. The fire department, dispatched immediately, struggled to find all the locations of the fires, and were not immediately aware that Dogville also suffered fires right away. Before the fires were extinguished, three residential high-rise buildings collapsed, sending debris into the air for blocks around Stratton and Dogville.

Government officials and fire department senior officers were not available at press time to give an official comment on the cause or on the number of casualties. Clean up is expected to take weeks to months, said one assistant city manager.

"This could not have occurred accidentally, but nobody has any idea how it started yet," said a city official who refused to be named told the Midlandia Gazette.

Updates will be posted to the Midlandia Gazette as information comes in.

Photos of the Fire and Its Aftermath