HAMPTON, Va. — A fire early Wednesday morning at the Magruder Run Apartment complex on Floyd Thompson Boulevard in Hampton left nearly three dozen people in need of help.
“I couldn’t believe it to be honest," said Wahken Howard.
Watch: 33 people displaced after fire scorches Magruder Run Apartments: HFR
Howard lives at the apartment complex, but not in the building that burned. He found out about the fire when his mother told him about it when he woke up.
“It’s pretty insane. I hope people can find another place to stay," said Howard.
In radio traffic between firefighters and dispatchers, a firefighter can be heard talking about how they’re going to fight the fire and can be heard calling for a safety unit to start “search and evac.”
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“When units arrived on scene, they had heavy smoke and flames showing from the roof and the balcony," Hampton Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Anthony Chittum explained.
According to the fire department, a second alarm was immediately called by firefighters when they got to the scene to bring in double the manpower and double the equipment.
Fighting the fire wasn’t easy.
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“It was the end of a row. So if you look at the apartment itself, it’s at the end. There’s no access for vehicles to get around on the other side," said Chittum.
News 3 talked off camera with a man and woman who say they lived in the apartment where the fire started. They didn’t know what started the fire, but said it started on their balcony.
They said their dog saved their lives by barking at the fire and waking them up. They and the dog got out unharmed, but they said they lost everything in the fire.
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The American Red Cross said 33 people were being helped as of Wednesday. According to the fire department, there were no injuries to residents or firefighters. Howard worries a fire could just as easily happen in his building and says this is a reminder to be careful.
“People have to keep an eye on what they’re doing. It could happen to anybody," he said.
As of Wednesday, the cause of the fire was still being investigated.