Fires Damage Two Anaheim Apartment Buildings

The early morning fires burned two neighboring buildings in a complex of four apartments

Residents were safely evacuated Friday morning when fires broke out at two adjacent apartment buildings in Anaheim.

The fires were reported at about 5:30 a.m. in the 1500 block of Benmore Lane. Aerial video showed fire burning through the roofs of two neighboring buildings in the complex of about four two-story structures.

The fire might have started in one of the units and spread across a wooden fence between the buildings to the other building, according to fire investigators.

Residents huddled under a nearby parking structure as firefighters on the ground and on ladder trucks fought the fires, which generated thick smoke that could be seen from the nearby 91 Freeway, just south of the apartments, over the Fullerton and Anaheim areas.

Firefighters said the stairways of the buildings were compromised, meaning they fought the fires in defensive mode and were unable to enter the buildings. Firefighters were inside the building at one point, but pulled out due to the compromised structure, said Sgt. Daron Wyatt, of the Anaheim Public Safety Department.

About 40 residents were displaced. No injuries were reported.

The American Red Cross is helping displaced residents from eight apartments find temporary lodging. There was no damage to surrounding apartments.

Details regarding a cause of the fires were not immediately available. An initial investigation showed no evidence that the fire was intentionally set.

Contact Us