Brownsville Apt Residents Flooded Out After Fire

Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – More than two hundred residents of a Brownsville apartment were forced to find a temporary place to stay after a fire in their building.

CBS4's Peter D'Oench spoke with the resident living in apartment number 1101, where he said the blaze erupted after he left his oven on.

That resident did not want to be identified or show all of his face but said, "I went out for a minute and left the oven on by mistake. That's when the water just stated."

D'Oench was not able to finish that interview because fifteen seconds after it started, a building manager ordered him and his CBS4 crew to leave the property.

CLICK HERE To Watch Peter D'Oench's Report 

"Hey, hey, hey," said the unidentified manager. "Cameras outside."

It wasn't the fire, however, that forced the evacuation.

"The water came down," said Natasha Stephens. "When it came down, it flooded my whole apartment. My apartment, my bathroom, my dining room and kitchen, it flooded that."

The fire, which happened Sunday afternoon in an 11th floor unit at 5185 NW 29th Avenue, triggered the building's sprinkler system which caused the flooding and some electrical damage.

"We actually saw the water coming from the air conditioning unit, the water coming from the bathroom, the water seeping into the kitchen, so your first reaction is to panic because you hear people in the hallway running," said Teresa Morely.

Because of the electrical system damage, the building's residents were left in the dark - literally.

"Due to the damage to the electrical systems, we definitely recommended that the power be shut down which necessitated a full evacuation of the building," said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue's Danny Cardeso.

Officials said fortunately no one was hurt.

With no place to go, some residents were brought to tears knowing their belongings had been destroyed and their kids were left with nothing.

"Everything thing is gone. The toys, the project she has been working on, they missed school today because they had no clothes, no shoes, no food, no nothing," said Ernista Fils.

"We're staying in a hotel," said Yurado. "Because I got two kids and a wife."

Some residents who returned to the building on Monday were frustrated with the lack of information they were given concerning when they'd be allowed back inside and who was going to pay for their losses.

"Where are we going to go. They're telling me that they are not responsible for my stuff that I worked hard for, I'm like who is responsible for it," said Fils.

The Red Cross has stepped in to help those displaced find a place to stay.

Neighbors4Neighbors is also working with the Director of Residential Affairs to see how those evacuated can be helped.

Keisha Byrd is another resident who was also forced to evacuate.

"I feel terrible," said Byrd. "I don't have any place to go. They are not giving us housing anywhere. They offered us a shelter. I don't want to go to the shelter so I guess the best thing we can do is stay out in the hot sun and wait for answers."