Overnight Inferno Rips Through Watt Avenue Apartments

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) -- Hundreds of residents were forced to evacuate early Sunday morning after a fire destroyed a dozen units in an apartment complex off Watt Avenue.

Firefighters quickly evacuated all 143 units in the Garden Plaza complex after a three-alarm fire ignited with a boom inside a third-floor apartment just after 2:00 a.m., according to authorities.

Residents said they had little time to escape the flames, and one man suffered injuries after being forced to jump from the window of a second story unit.

"The lady across from me on the third floor, her whole ceiling was on fire," said Wesley Jackson.

Another resident, Marilyn Anderson, said she only had time to grab her medication and get out the door before the fire completely engulfed her apartment.

"My apartment is totally flooded. All my furniture, my computer, my TV, everything looks like it's gone," Anderson said.

A total of 12 units were seriously damaged in the fire. The Red Cross is assisting the displaced residents.

Two residents were transported to the hospital with injuries from the incident, and two firefighters sustained minor injuries.