Residents Displaced By Deerfield Beach Apartment Fire
DEERFIELD BEACH (CBSMiami) – A fire in a Deerfield Beach apartment building forced two dozen people, including 15 children, from their homes overnight.
Residents of the Deerfield Palms Apartments were pulled out of their beds late Monday night after a fire broke out in a second floor apartment.
"I just ran quick down and then saw the fire coming up" said Aymond Emmanuelle, a resident forced out by the flames.
According to Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue the fire started at around 11:30 p.m in the back bedroom of a second floor unit at the apartment complex located at 399 SW 13th Place.
The Broward Sheriff's Office said two women and their teenage sons in apartment 617 heard popping noises and saw smoke, then flames.
"We heard a boom and I heard my son calling me," said Natasha Clermont who was in the apartment.
"I saw the light and I said 'where is this coming from' and I called him to come out of the house," said another fire victim.
"I just ran away quick down and then saw the fire coming up," said resident Aymond Emmanuelle.
When the fire crews arrived, smoke and flames were billowing out of the second floor. Firefighters attacked the fast-moving fire which burned through the roof of the building. Four firefighters from three different departments helped in putting the fire out and in about 30 minutes they were able to contain it to the apartment where it started and apartments on either side of it.
Forty firefighters from Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue, Pompano Beach Fire Rescue and Ft. Lauderdale Fire Rescue battled the flames.
In addition to the three fire damaged units on the second floor, three first-floor units sustained smoke and water damage.
The mother who lived in the apartment where the fire started said she tried to put the fire out but it was impossible.
"I was trying to get the extinguisher and put it out but it went to fast there was nothing we could do," said the woman.
No injuries were reported.
The Red Cross coordinated emergency aid for four families, eight adults and 11 children, who will need food, clothing and a temporary place to stay.
Natasha Clermont lives in one of the eight damaged apartments and among the displaced but said even though they may have lost most of their personnel belongings she is just grateful to be alive.
"God is good to me praise the Lord, He is the one that kept us alive," said Clermont.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Broward Sheriff Fire Marshal's Bureau and the State Fire Marshal.
