NORFOLK, Va. (WVEC) — An apartment fire Wednesday night displaced 18 people, Norfolk fire officials said.
Crews were called to the 700 block of West 27th Street around 6:40 p.m. Wednesday.
Officials found a fire outside the rear of the building. The fire was also in a first- and second-floor bedroom. The fire also spread to the apartment's attic.
After knocking the fire down, and the roof collapsed — a building inspector was called to make an emergency demolition of the building.
PHOTOS: Fire destroys Norfolk apartments; 18 people displaced
Even with the for apartment unit building knocked to the ground, people who use to live in the building are focusing on the little things.
“Had money orders to pay some bills. They were laying on the bed," said tenant George Hinton. “I found my lock box with some of my papers in it, but no money orders.”
When asked how he felt, he said, “like I want to cry, but it’s OK. It’s OK we’ll survive.”
Other people like Randal Alexander told 13News Now he was temporarily staying with his sister in the apartment.
“She’s all to pieces right now,” said Alexander.
He also shared that when he saw the fire, he didn't think of himself.
“I thought the best thing we could do, was run back in and start alerting our neighbors,” he said. “Then once we got everybody out of the building, we were trying to tell them, ‘Hey, look, get off the block and let the fire department do what they do.’”
The fire was considered a two-alarm fire.
No one was injured, and the Red Cross is providing shelter to the displaced individuals. No information has been released about what started the fire.
Alexander said he's grateful.
“The building, that’s a material thing. Lives that were in the building were saved,” he said.
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