More than 20 residents in East Ridge are safe but displaced after an early morning fire destroyed the top of a three-story apartment complex Thursday, officials said.
Several emergency agencies responded to the Germantown Garden Apartments shortly after 4:30 a.m. after reports of heavy smoke and fire coming from the roof of the 800 building, East Ridge Fire Chief Mike Williams said.
“Once the fire gets in the attic, it pretty much takes off,” Williams said by phone.
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When police and firefighters realized where the flames were, they began evacuating people, Williams said. No injuries were reported, he said, but some pets, believed to have escaped, are still missing.