New cell phone video shows the blaze that destroyed a South Jersey apartment complex and left many families homeless.
Firefighters battled a fast-moving fire in a Burlington County apartment complex.
The fire, which hit three alarms, started at the Willingboro Square Apartments shortly before 5 p.m. Monday along the 7100 block of Millennium Drive in Willingboro, New Jersey, fire officials said.
"The flame went from one roof to another roof to another roof," Amar Dean, a witness, told NBC10. "Then you started seeing flames, a burst of flames coming from the chimney area."
The fire caused the entire roof to collapse on the third floor. The building was evacuated.
Crews were able to bring the flames under control at 5:48 p.m. Officials say 24 units in the building were damaged by the fire.
"I was hyperventilating," said Candice Kato, a tenant. "I was going on because I knew there were senior people and they couldn't get out."
Kato said she told firefighters where the senior residents were. One of Kato's neighbors was pulled to safety and sent to the hospital. Both the rescued tenant as well as a firefighter who suffered minor injuries are expected to be okay.
"I was so happy to see her come out because I was in tears," Kato said.
Neil Patel, another tenant, said he and his family lost everything in the fire.
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"We went around the building. We saw the smoke," Patel said. "Then, we saw a lady screaming. She was calling the fire department. So, we went to our neighbors and knocked on the doors to get them out."
The Red Cross is helping at least 10 of the displaced families. The fire department is also working to reunite rescued pets with their families. Owners of lost pets can call the Willingboro Fire Department or Burlington County Animal Shelter.
