The flames broke out at the building on Tulare near J streets just before 1 am Monday.
Resident Krista Dutcher described the intense moments as a fire tore through the apartment complex.
"I come walking out of my apartment, and apartment 2A, across from me, goes around the corner, and gets the fire extinguisher, and comes back and says help me. I said dude, I can't see. There's black smoke everywhere,"
She's lived in the Haden Apartments on North J and Tulare Streets for eight years.
Fire officials say six people were rescued.
The fire was so bad that eight people had to be treated for smoke inhalation, including one firefighter.
All are expected to be okay.
Dutcher says she's grateful she could walk out the back exit safely, but has lost everything.
"What I'm worried about is, my brother passed away a year ago with cancer and left me his bike," Dutcher explained.
"Well, his bike is up there, I'm sure it's gone now, there's nothing I can do,"
The fire is still under investigation, but officials say it started on the second floor.
Dinuba City Fire Battalion Chief Joanne Bear says the building's older structure posed a threat to firefighters.
"We had the entrance going into the building upstairs. We had one entrance in the back, going up the stairs," said Bear.
"So, that did pose a challenge as far as getting access to the second floor, where the fire was,"
Five apartments and four businesses below had smoke and water damage.
Tucked away in a cul-de-sac less than a mile away from the fire is a helping hand.
"Well, when I heard about it, I was going through Facebook, you know, and I was like, you know, that's really sad," said Dinuba resident Brenda Nuno.
Nuno says she wanted to help the victims because she knows all too well what it means to be displaced by a fire.
"I had a fire happen to my family when I was, like, in middle school. So, I know that you really do lose everything. If it's not in the fire, it's water damage, and then it smells. Everything I know that they pretty much had is lost," said Nuno.
Nuno says she will continue to offer free clothes and shoes to those in need for the next few days.
The American Red Cross was on the scene helping those impacted by this devastating fire.
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