HARRISBURG -- A loft apartment caught fire Wednesday afternoon, nearing igniting a ranch house near Harrisburg. 

Tanya and Tim Gifford have a ranch near Wildcat Hills in Banner County near Harrisburg. Tuesday afternoon a fire destroyed  the apartment of sisters Anna and Laura Wilkins. They lived in an apartment connected to the Gifford family home and garage. 

Anna Wilkins works for the Giffords and her sister Lora lived with her.

Tanya Gifford said if she hadn’t been home, the fire could have been much worse. 

“So, Anna and Lora Wilkins, they live here on our ranch with us In Harrisburg. They have an apartment that is connected to our home, and our garages, and a shop. They apartment, which is about 500-600 square feet, it completely burned and they lost all of their belongings, their whole life: everything was up there, in that apartment,” she said. 

She said the fire marshal determined the fire was caused by a lithium battery in a laptop computer that was plugged in. 

She estimated the fire started between 2 and 3 p.m. Wednesday.  No lives were lost in the fire.

“It would have probably wiped out our entire -- all of everything -- if I hadn’t been here to call 911, we're kind of out in the middle of nowhere, we're very rural here," she said.

A collection drive for clothing started and the community stepped up. The focus now is on household needs and furniture. Gifford said monetary donations are also welcome.

Donations of interest are house and kitchen supplies. Donations can be left at the Banner County Sheriff's Office.