An early-morning fire at an apartment complex left more than 50 people without a home.
Fire ripped through an apartment building in Stoughton, Massachusetts, overnight, causing a partial collapse of the roof.
Fire officials said one firefighter suffered a minor injury while fighting the blaze at the Stone Ends Apartments on Wheeler Circle, which broke out around 1 a.m. None of the occupants were hurt.
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The American Red Cross of Massachusetts has been called in to assist the residents. The building has 24 units, and more than 50 people have been displaced.
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"I was in a deep sleep, I guess, until I heard the fireman banging on my door," said Regina, a resident. "That's what got me up, cause I just knew from that bang something was wrong."
She says she escaped with just the clothes on her back.
"When they let us in our apartment, I broke down in tears, cause it looked so bad," she said. "Ceiling fell in, water everywhere, pictures hanging off the wall. So it really brought me to tears, really did."
"These firemen are heroes," said another resident, Arthur Jarvis. "I told them all, 'We appreciate you.'"
Regina agreed.
"They're the best," she said.
Red Cross officials said they are working with the location's management team to help relocate residents into other vacant units at the property.
"We've been providing a little bit of financial assistance," said Paul Hoy, a disaster response supervisor with the Red Cross. "Comfort kits — toiletries, blankets — disaster mental health, just to help with some of the stress that they're dealing with."
The cause of the fire is under investigation, but the Massachusetts Fire Marshal's Office says it seems to be related to an electrical or HVAC problem.
