Firefighters from multiple departments were at the scene of the fire at Adair Place Apartments. A view from Chopper 11 showed heavy damage to two buildings. The roof was burned off two of the three-story structures.
A town spokesperson said Monday the fire was ruled accidental by the North Carolina Office of the State Fire Marshal, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). There has been no word on the actual cause.
All residents were accounted for, a Goldsboro official said. Fifty people were displaced, and four were taken to UNC Health Wayne for treatment. Previously, three people had been reported as being taken to a hospital.
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50 people displaced after large apartment fire in Wayne County
The fire broke out around 2 p.m. and was brought under control just after 4:30 p.m.
Residents told ABC11 that the fire started in the middle-to-backside of the building.
One resident said he was napping when the fire broke out, and fortunately, a friend who had a spare key to his apartment rushed into his room and warned him of the fire.
"I couldn't believe it. I was thankful to be alive," said Carlos Delgado, who lives on the second floor of the building that caught fire. "He just bursts into my room and yells, 'Carlos, fire, get out'. And I didn't grab anything, I just ran out the door."
From above, Chopper 11 captured the chaotic scene as smoke and flames billowed from the building, residents huddled outside, and crews from more than a half-dozen municipalities worked to get the fire under control.
Hannah Kidder lives in a nearby building in the complex and said she had never seen anything like it.
"It was really chaotic," she said. "People were going everywhere, running up and down, kids running up and down to the playground to play, to wait to see what happens."
Kidder said that with many of her neighbors currently without a place to stay, she's already offered up her apartment to those who need help in the meantime.
"I offered some to come stay with me at my place if they have kids out here. Like I said, it would be scary for me," she said.
Goldsboro firefighters, Rosewood volunteer firefighters, Little River volunteer firefighters, Oakland volunteer firefighters, the Goldsboro Police Department, Wayne County EMS, and the Wayne County Sheriff's Office all responded to assist.
Raw video from the scene of the fire
The Red Cross is at the scene assisting displaced residents. A temporary shelter has been established near the fire site to provide emergency housing for those in need.
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