Firefighters from Phoenix, along with teams from Chandler and Tempe, responded to a major apartment fire in Ahwatukee, which broke out last Saturday afternoon near 48th Street and Warner Road. According to FOX 10 Phoenix, the fire started on the first floor of a two-story apartment building and quickly made its way to the attic, spreading to adjacent buildings. Video from the scene captured flames bursting from the building as crews worked to contain the blaze.
Phoenix Fire Captain Todd Keller described the challenging conditions crews faced upon arrival, with heavy fire and smoke visible from the first floor. The situation escalated to a second-alarm fire due to the size of the complex and the potential spread of the flames, as per Captain Keller's statement to FOX 10 Phoenix. As the fire moved into the attic space, parts of the roof began to collapse which, prompted firefighters to switch to a defensive strategy deploying ladder trucks.
The incident has left 16 people without homes. Adrian Martinez and his family were among the residents affected by the disaster. "We were all horrified and really scared. My mom was hyperventilating. I couldn’t breathe. My dad was really panicked. My sister was crying, she was scared," Martinez recounted in a statement obtained by AZFamily.
In a race against time, Martinez managed to save his mother, who was recently immobilized due to a back injury, and retrieve some vital items before the blaze engulfed their home. "We had less than two minutes to get in, get out, get our family. Less than two minutes later the house is completely burned, it’s already collapsing," he told AZFamily. Despite the swift evacuation, the fire's rapid progression did not allow for the rescue of all their belongings.
The aftermath has displaced residents and left them without their possessions, creating uncertainty about their future. "Our lives are changed. We went from relaxing and trying to do bills, and now we have no place to stay. We don’t have a home," said Martinez. The Community Assistance Program has been activated to assist the affected families. No injuries have been reported, and the investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.
