Five families displaced by Kent apartment fire

KENT, Wash. — A fire erupted at a Kent apartment complex after midnight on Friday, forcing five families from their homes.

Puget Sound Fire says they arrived at the Waterbrook Apartments around 12:30 a.m. and saw heavy fire was coming from apartments on the second and third floors.

“We heard the explosion sound, like something got blasted,” said Vijay Narayanan, whose family was displaced by the fire. The fire broke out just feet away from where Narayanan’s family was sleeping.

“Immediately, I came to the patio and noticed like the fire was coming up to here,” he added.

Firefighters say five units were destroyed by the flames.

“It was literally engulfed in flames. I kept explaining to people like movies where people were in hell and they’re like surrounded by fire. Literally, that’s what it looked like,” neighbor Erica Odom described. “It was just roaring in a circle. It was loud because I think the glass was like busting and breaking.

Odom didn’t hesitate trying to wake up the people inside.

“I just started beating on all the windows on this backside. When I realized people weren’t getting up fast enough, because this was all dark, as if people were sleeping,” she said.

Odom says it quickly became a team effort with neighbors racing to get everyone out.

Despite the destruction of five homes, Puget Sound Fire confirmed that everyone survived the incident.

Narayanan praised the apartment complex for stepping up to help his and the other displaced families.

“They provide me the new apartment the same day, and they provide the food and shelters, everything. They’re very nice,” he said.

Puget Sound Fire is investigating the cause of a fire, but they believe it was accidental.

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