Firefighters Battle Linthicum Heights Blaze

LINTHICUM HEIGHTS, Md. (WJZ) -- A fire rips through an Anne Arundel County apartment complex, forcing families out of their homes as they watch the flames destroy the building.

Amy Yensi with the latest on the investigation.

A chaotic scene, as crews spent hours trying to put out the flames. Thankfully, everyone made it out safely.

Cell phone video catches the flames spreading through the wooden frame house. Neighbors say they didn't see it coming.

"I heard a big boom," said Kathy Dayton.

"I saw a shadow of smoke, and that's how I knew there was a fire," said Bruce Lawrence.

Firefighters were rushed to the 200 block of Maple Road just after 11 a.m. Saturday.

After several calls reporting the blaze consuming the apartment building, it quickly jumped to a two-alarm fire.

"Crews initially made an aggressive interior attack, but due to the heavy volume of fire were forced to evacuate the structure for personnel safety," said Captain Michael Pfaltzgraff, Anne Arundel County Fire Department.

Heavy fire and smoke poured from the rear of the four-story structure, damaging at least nine apartments.

It's one of the oldest buildings in the Linthicum Heights area.

Bruce Lawrence is one of the building's 20 residents. He ran from the house with just his laptop, but suspects the rest of his belongings are gone.

"At the back of the building, I saw a stream of water going up and I saw heavy black smoke coming out one window of the second floor," he said.

It took more than 40 firefighters from several counties close to four hours to get the fire under control.

"My husband and I had to park up there. We can't even get back into our driveway because they still blocked the street off," said Lisa Crittenden.

Crittenden says it's a small inconvenience compared to that of her neighbors, who lost so much in a matter of minutes.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The Red Cross has been called to assist with anyone displaced from the fire.