2-alarm fire burns northwest Fresno apartment complex

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A fire ripped through an apartment complex in Northwest Fresno Sunday morning displacing families right before the holidays.

Flames swept through a building at the Enclave Apartment complex on Sunday morning.

Neighbors rushed in to help. Shataia, who lives next door wasted no time once she and her husband realized the unit was on fire.

"We were in the living room, and we peaked out the blinds, and everything was on fire. So we ran out to try to tell the neighbors their whole patio was on fire. We couldn't because the blaze was too big," said Shataia.

With a couple of other neighbors, they ran in getting out the kids and tried to save some of their belongings.

"When crews arrived they had heavy fire on the exterior of the apartment that extended into the attic of the apartment," said Battalion Chief Fresno fire Department Devin McGuire.

Firefighters quickly worked to put out the blaze. The fire investigator got straight to work, taking a close look at the outside and snapping pictures of the water heater and dryer.

Two families including Shataia and her husband are now trying to find a place to stay.

"We don't have any family here, we are from Michigan, we are probably going to call some friends or co-workers," said Shataia.

Red Cross was called in to help.

While the cause of this fire is still under investigation, Devin McGuire with the Fresno Fire Department wants to remind the people about fire safety, especially since they have had several fires in the last week.

"As we come into the holiday season, we end up getting a lot of fires caused by overuse of electrical outlets, candles unattended and then just combustibles too close to heat sources. So when you're setting up decorations, make sure you're thinking about that," said McGuire.