19 homeless after apartment fire

Fire officials said the blaze at The Meadows started outside the building and burned inside. One resident said flames were coming through the door and a window when he woke up.

Nobody was seriously hurt in the fire, which began shortly after 4 a.m. Firefighters continued to mop up the scene after daybreak and investigators were trying to determine the cause of the blaze.

Sparks building inspectors will look at the badly damaged roof to determine whether it can be repaired.

Amit Ranadey, 16, whose family was one of eight evicted by the blaze, said he heard his sister yelling "fire" and originally thought it was a joke. Then he saw the flames. He also said he smelled gasoline.

"It looked like a bad nightmare," Monica Ranadey said.

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