VIDEO: Several families lost their homes Wednesday to a fire in Vancouver. Flames that started in one apartment quickly spread to others.
“It just got black and scary,” said Kayla Beauprey, who witnessed the entire incident.
She was driving home in Hazel Dell when she noticed smoke coming from the Erica Village complex, located on Northeast 105th Street, just before 5 p.m. She pulled over, called 911, and watched as the flames grew and fire crews got to work.
“They had to cut a hole in the top to get through,” Beauprey said, describing the moments she saw crews enter through the roof with a chainsaw. “I saw pieces fly out, black pieces…it was just water coming in, smoke coming out. It was hard to see.”
Fire District 6 Chief Kristen Maurer said the fire started on a second-floor back porch and spread to upper units up to the attic.