Man Was In Basement Watching TV While Smoke Billowed From Attic
DENVER (CBS4) - The Red Cross is now helping out people who lost their homes to a fast-spreading fire in South Denver Sunday evening.
Four town homes near Interstate 225 and Yosemite were destroyed, but homeowners say things could have been even more devastating had it not been for their neighbors.
Neighbors called for help after seeing flames shooting from the roof of one apartment building. The flames quickly grew and spread from home to home.
"It was out of control," neighbor Hassan Kasakya said.
"I had a couple neighbors beating on the door letting me know something was wrong," homeowner Anthony Jones said.
Jones is grateful the neighbors were around. He said he was downstairs watching television and unware that upstairs smoke was billowing from his attic.
"By the time I realized the fire had started it was too late," he said.
Jones left his home with nothing. Some of his neighbors had more warning. Lydia Martinez lives nearby and didn't hesitate to help one family evacuate.
"I ran into the neighbor's house and started carrying items out -- photo albums, a computer, their taxes, medication; things that were necessary," Martinez said.
Denver fire officials say a total of four homes were destroyed in the fire but everybody got out safely.
"It's all material things … I can replace anything that was in the house. Lives you can't replace. I'm just grateful I'm okay," Jones said.
Investigators now say the fire was accidental the cause was electrical.