BUFFALO, N.Y. — The American Red Cross is helping several people.
More than 24 hours ago, a fire broke out at an apartment complex in Buffalo's Riverside neighborhood. Fire officials were called to 670 Ontario St. to man a fire that displaced three adults.
The fire was so intense it destroyed three of the nine units. One unit is now left with a huge hole in the wall after the fire burned through. Clean-up efforts are underway today.
Officials say the call of the fire came in at 5:20 p.m. The fire started inside the wall on the first floor. 2 On Your Side checked out the area, and nearby neighbors say the fire escalated quickly.
John Jones is the first to witness the fire. He captured cell phone videos of the fire and quickly warned others to vacate the building.
"I'm hearing crackling, and I'm like, why do I hear a crackling noise? I look, and there's fire underneath the wood panel, underneath the wall," Jones says.
He continued, "I bang on her window, and I'm like 'Hey, you know it's fire? You don't smell it? You don't see it?' I'm like, 'You got to get you and your dog out of here.' So by the time she got her and her dog out of there, it was everywhere. The wind picked it up and carried it. It was just spreading everywhere."
On the first floor is where Lizandra Andreu Rios and her dog live. She and the other tenants say they're thankful for Jones.
"I'm grateful for that because if he hadn't noticed that, how long until we realize there was a fire going on in the wall," Rios said, adding "I'm still in shock, processing. It hasn't sunk in that this happened."
She says the building owner, which is Rosato Management, has not contacted her. Channel 2 gave him a call and got Gary Rosato, president and owner of the company.
"We are taking care of the tenants, taking care of their rent, the security deposits. We're trying to find them other places to live. We're right on top of things," Rosato said.