Bathroom fan starts fire in Fresno apartment, 4 families displaced

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Four Fresno families are spending the night, out of their homes after a fire ignited in their apartment building.

The fire happened just after 6 p.m. on Friday - at an apartment complex on Tyler and Backer Avenues.

Action News spoke to a woman who banged on doors to alert neighbors of the growing fire.

Latisha Clark says she wasted no time jumping into action after seeing flames shoot from the four-unit apartment complex.

"It was getting higher and higher. First, it started peaking but it started getting higher and higher."

Clark says she immediately called 911 and then rushed up to one of the units on the second floor.

"I started banging on the screen door because that's where I saw flames from and nobody answered."

Not knowing if anyone was inside, Clark says she started to panic.

"I thought somebody was either in there or they were passed out something bad.... (I didn't) know if somebody elderly's in there, because somebody had to be in there for that fire to happen."

But fortunately, no one was home.

In fact, firefighters say the unit is vacant.

However, the fire somehow started inside and investigators believe they know where.

"We just discovered it was a bathroom upstairs bathroom vent fan... just a typical fan you operate with a switch. We've had several of these in the past. Get it replaced!"

While there was extensive damage left behind from the blaze, firefighters say the good news is the building was saved.

Only four families are being displaced and no one was injured.