WINDERMERE, Fla. — The State Fire Marshal is investigating after an apartment fire forced dozens of people out of their homes in the rain.
The two-alarm fire at the Buena Vista Place apartments broke out about 8:30 p.m.
Orange County Fire Rescue tweeted that flames were shooting through the roof of the building when they arrived.
Photos: Fire breaks out at Windermere apartment
They told Channel 9 they saw lots of lightning near their building minutes before the fire started.
“The lightning hit and I dropped everything, my phone and started running to my car,” said witness Jesus Garcia.
Resident Coralie Allen said she heard a loud noise from her first-floor apartment shortly before the fire.
“I was watching TV with the blinds closed but boy did I hear it and my stove even made a racket,” Allen said.
Authorities have not confirmed it was lightning that ignited the third floor of the building.
“We were watching the lightning storm,” said resident R. Lane. “It was a loud boom, like it rattled the building. These are concrete buildings and it literally shook the building for a second.”
A resident captured the flames on cellphone video.
Twenty-four apartment units have been evacuated and about 60 residents have been displaced.
“We got our dog out and all of our neighbors are out. Everybody is OK right now,” said Lane.
“Kind of ruins your holiday. Trying to make the best ouf of a bad situation,” said resident Anthony Martin.
No injuries were reported.
https://twitter.com/MLBooneWFTV/status/617143197614084096
WFTV
