Stonecrest apartment fire leaves more than 20 families homeless

DeKalb County firefighters worked into the evening hours battling a blaze at a Stonecrest apartment complex. 

Flames were shooting through the roof around 2 p.m. at the Wesley Providence Apartments on Wesley Providence Parkway on Tuesday afternoon.

DeKalb County firefighters work to extinguish flames at the Wesley Providence Apartments in Stonecrest.  (FOX 5 Atlanta)

The good news is everyone made it out safely, including two cats and a dog.

But it was a stubborn fire. Firefighters spent most of the evening putting out hotspots.

"It ended up it went all the way to the left and to the right it was an inferno," said Monica Harris who had come by to check on a friend.

Monica Harris watched as flames jumped across the top of this 4-story apartment building. DeKalb Fire Rescue said they believe the fire started in one unit, went up the wall got into the roof where it quickly spread. 

"The roof went up in flames it ran the whole building got into the attic and took the entire top floor of the apartment," said Capt. Jaeson Daniels.

Once the fire was in the roof things started to collapse.

"The chimney fell on the apartment and it came straight on down," said Harris.

"I lost everything my whole apartment is gone everything is gone, messed up," said Shaniya Taylor who lived in one of the apartments.

Some of the residents ran from apartment to apartment, knocking on doors to make sure everyone got out.

Shaniya Taylor heard the knock.

"I just grabbed my phone and left out, this is how I came out nothing else," said Taylor

The Red Cross said the fire impacted about 28 units. So far, volunteers have helped 21 families and a total of 37 people at the scene with temporary lodging, food, clothing, personal care items, and other essentials. 

Throughout the day and into the evening, a lot of people have come together to help others. 

Several other families have made other arraignments, the Red Cross said.

"A lot of people lost a lot some folks didn't even have shoes on. Thank God they have a life," said Harris.

DeKalb County firefighters work to extinguish flames at the Wesley Providence Apartments in Stonecrest. 

Officials said there are no reports of injuries.

Investigators have not provided a possible cause for the fire. 

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