PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Fifteen people will need to find somewhere else to stay after a fire destroyed a multi-family apartment building early Thursday morning.
However, no one was hurt.
Portsmouth Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services, the Chesapeake Fire Department and Navy Region Fire teams rushed out to the 100 block of Dahlgren Avenue just after 1:30 a.m. When teams got to the scene, in the Cradock area of the city, the fire was eating away at the second floor of the building.
The firefighting teams worked together to try to put out the flames, but the fire ended up burning through the roof of the apartment building. It was declared under control around 3:30 a.m.
There were eight units in the building. Everyone got out safely -- 13 adults and two children -- but those people will need a new place to stay.
The Red Cross is helping find them emergency shelter.
Portsmouth Deputy Chief Julian Williamson said firefighters aren't sure yet what started the fire, but it's under investigation.
A resident said the fire started in his unit. He said he used a grill on his balcony last night and then later stored it in the patio closet, once he thought it had cooled off. A few hours later, he said he noticed an orange glow that he thought was a tow truck coming into the parking lot.
That’s when he said his unit caught on fire.
Jasper Davis thought his friend Tina, one of the displaced residents, called to say hello around three this morning, which is their daily routine.
"Normally, she goes to work around that time and she normally calls to say 'Good morning, I’m on my way to work,'" he said.
Instead, Davis said Tina called frantically, telling him her neighbor’s apartment caught on fire hours earlier.
“She said she looked outside and saw how smoky it was, and she ran and she saw blazes,” he said.
He instantly went over to check in on her.
“This is when you need a friend, because I don’t think she really knew what was going to happen next," Davis said.