ORLANDO, Fla. — When a building at the Windsor Cove apartments caught fire Saturday, Tawana Priester said she ran outside and saw the flames.
“Well, I was woke up at 9:30 in the morning; I hear my neighbor screaming 'The building's on fire,'" she said.
At least 48 people were displaced after the fire at the Windsor Cove apartments Saturday morning, the Orlando Fire Department said.
"The Red Cross done their job and put us up for the weekend. But there ought to be something they can do as our landlord," she said.
Among those displaced are Anita Richardson and her seven grandchildren, who've been staying in a hotel thanks to the American Red Cross.
Firefighters said no one was injured in the fire that broke out at 1470 Mercy Drive around 10 a.m. Saturday.
Fire investigators said a child igniting paper on a space heater caused the blaze.
"It's pretty significant. It was 25 kids, which is the most amount of kids that I've had to deal with on any of the calls that I've gone out on," said Leo Alvarez, a Red Cross volunteer.
About 10 apartment units were affected by the blaze.
Power has been shut off to the entire building, approximately 12 units, due to extensive damage to the electrical system, firefighters said.
Richardson's apartment that was damaged by smoke and is still without power Monday.
She said her three nights at the hotel provided by the Red Cross run out Tuesday, and she said a manager at the apartment complex said they have nowhere to put her.
"I done paid my rent and the fire is not because of my negligence. The apartment burned up and now I have nowhere to go with my seven grandchildren is just crazy to me," she said.
The apartment management company told Channel 9's Jeff Deal it tries to find vacant apartments for residents in situations like this, but when they don't have any available, it encourages residents to stay with friends and family.
Richardson said that's not an option.
"I don't know where I can go with seven grandchildren. I don't have no help like that. If I did, I wouldn't be in the Palms," she said.