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First Responders Battle 5-Alarm Dallas Condominium Fire

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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) -A five-alarm fire spread throughout a Dallas condominium complex leaving more than a dozen people wondering where they would stay Wednesday night.

It happened just before 11am on Fleetwood Oaks Avenue just north of Parkland Hospital. The cause remains under investigation, but reports of flickering lights by some of the residents have led firefighters to believe electrical problems may be to blame.

Nearly a hundred firefighters worked together to battle the five-alarm fire. Heavy winds and a flat roof combined to spread the flames quickly, but first responders were able to contain the fire to just a part of the Greenbriar Place condominiums. Roger Little was just grateful to make it out of his unit alive.

"It's just tragic right now. It's tragic for me to see this. I don't know what to do," Little said.

Others like Carol Nguyen were at work when they got the call. Nguyen rushed home to search for her dog, Loki.

"His heart's beating fast, so he was really, really scared. Neighbors are telling me that he was barking this whole time, and everyone was concerned about making sure he could get out 'cause they all know that I'm at work during the day," Nguyen said.

Not every pet was as lucky. Michael Garcia was able to save one of his three cats.

"I hadn't even opened the door, and I could smell the smoke already. It was really strong," Garcia said.

Many people won't be able to return to their condos and they're unsure what to do next.

"What do I do tomorrow? What do I do the next hour from now? Where do I go from here?" Little said.

We are told 16 of the units will be without power tonight, and that will affect about 20 people. Red Cross workers waited for some of those folks to come home, and the group is prepared to provide shelter to those who need it.

(©2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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