DALLAS — A three-alarm fire destroyed about two dozen apartments in northeast Dallas late Tuesday night, officials said.
The fire was reported shortly before 10 p.m. at the Forest Hill Apartments in the 9600 block of Forest Lane, just northeast of Interstate 635.
No injuries were reported, but the Red Cross said about 24 units were destroyed and about 100 residents were displaced.
Dallas Fire-Rescue responded with about 60-70 firefighters, officials said. When they arrived, they saw flames coming from the second floor of the three-story apartment building, Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Jason Evans said.
The fire spread to the third floor and then into the attic space and roof of the building, escalating the response from Dallas Fire-Rescue.
Firefighters got the fire under control early Wednesday morning.
Investigators believe the fire started on the second floor, but the cause was still under investigation.
Jneice Howard, a resident, told WFAA that her neighbor started knocking on doors, making sure people knew a fire had started. Smoke detectors were also "going off like crazy" across the apartment complex, she said.
"He was literally just beating on our door saying ‘Y’all get up, get out,'" Howard said. "When I came out all I saw was smoke everywhere. When I went around where the smoke was, it was already too late, the whole apartment was literally just … there was fire everywhere."
Howard said the apartment above hers appeared to collapse into her unit, "so I just lost everything."
"I don't have anything," she said. "Nothing to my name now."