Massive East Oakland apartment fire displaces around 100 residents
OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- An early morning apartment fire displaced around 100 residents in East Oakland Friday.
"It happened very fast man. Five minutes, the building is gone," said Ricardo Vindiola, East Oakland resident.
Longtime East Oakland resident Ricardo Vindiola is describing the terrifying moments his apartment complex went up in flames early Friday morning.
Vindiola was sleeping in his unit around 12:30 a.m. when he was woken up by an explosion.
After first trying to go out his front door, Vindiola says the flames were already rapidly climbing the four story building.
It left him with only one way out, while firefighters worked to rescue people on multiple floors.
"Only to come to the emergency exit. And I took the stairs, the emergency stairs," said Vindiola.
Kevin Avila and his brother say their family lost most of their belongings.
"They were freaking out. Everyone was freaking out because they were all living in there and there were a lot of people coming out," said Avila.
Responding to the incident, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee posted a statement on social media saying that city departments, "...Worked overnight alongside the Red Cross to open an emergency shelter." And that, "Everyone who needs a safe place to stay has been sheltered."
Four people were injured in the fire, and the cause is still under investigation.
As for Vindiola, he's just happy things weren't worse.
Now, he's focused on figuring out what comes next.
"It's not easy but I've got to do something. I don't know," said Vindiola.
