A fire at an apartment complex in Prince George's County, Maryland, left the residents of 12 apartments displaced on Monday night.
Firefighters were called at about 7:05 p.m. to 51 Harry S Truman Drive in Largo. Flames could be seen coming through the roof of a three-story apartment complex.
"We just sat here and just watched it just start small," resident Javon Statam said. "[The fire] just took out the whole roof. Debris started falling. It was crazy out there."
Statam was in his apartment with his girlfriend and their 2-year-old daughter when they realized what was happening.
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"So I told my girlfriend, I took the dog, let's get our stuff and let's get out of here," he said.
No injuries were reported, but the flames were so intense that at one point firefighters were ordered out of the building as the roof partially collapsed, authorities said.
"Our firefighters went to an exterior position and started flowing water from the ladder pipes," Alan Doubleday, of the Prince George's County Fire Department, said.
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The blaze was extinguished at about 9:30 p.m. Firefighters remained on the scene to monitor hotspots.
Investigators preliminarily believe the fire started after incense was left burning on a balcony.
This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.
Correction (April 3, 2023 at 10:26 p.m. EST): The residents of 12 apartments, not 12 people, were displaced in the blaze.
