COLUMBIA, S.C. — A fire broke out at a Columbia apartment building late Friday night, forcing over a dozen people out of their homes.
Crews responded to the fire at the Waters at Longcreek Apartments on Longcreek Drive just before midnight Friday.
Photos show flames bursting through the building's roof, causing a significant amount of smoke. No one was injured, but 14 people — 11 adults and three children — have been displaced, according to the American Red Cross.
Janae Crutch says she was home sleeping when the blaze started. She woke up to the sound of neighbors screaming.
"I heard the noise upstairs, like banging, a bunch of banging, and footsteps and people screaming," Crutch said. "Scary... it was real scary."
So, she hurried to the door.
"Firefighters told me to just get out, had to get out; the whole building was on fire," Crutch said. "So, I ran outside and I looked up and the whole building was just in flames."
Crutch says she stood outside and watched "devastated" as her home of just three months went up in flames. Her boyfriend and daughter were not home at the time.
Eric Greene says he was away when he got a call from apartment staff that his home had caught fire.
"I was startled. I couldn't believe what I was hearing," Greene said. "I got here and I found out everything was destroyed. I lost everything in the apartment. If it wasn't the fire and the smoke damage, it was water damage."
The cause of the fire is unknown at this time, but an investigation is underway.
Apartment management say they're working with displaced residents to get them into temporary housing.
If you would like to donate to those impacted by the fire, you can take items to the Waters at Longcreek Apartment office at 1401 Longcreek Drive during normal business hours.