SARASOTA, Florida - Three of six units inside building G at the Beneva Ridge Apartment Complex are destroyed after a fast moving fire tore through the building Friday, sending one fire fighter to the hospital.

Emergency crews were called to the complex just south of Bee Ridge Road after something went wrong during the installation of a washer and drier in one of the units.

"They just plugged it in and it sparked," said Keelin Hoffman who was inside her grandmother's apartment as the fire started. "It just went through the walls then blew up!"

Friday evening, she and her little brother went through puddles in the parking lot, searching for whatever they could salvage.

"We found a lot of pictures that were up on the wall of my mom and a couple cups and that's about it."

The fast moving fire spread quickly through the mostly wooden structure.

"They had to saw in through the roof to get it from above, behind and in front ... and for hours it just wasn't going out," said Rebecca Gill who lives one building over.

Besides damage from fire, the units also suffered extensive water damage as crews battled the blaze and heavy rain poured into the now open roof.

"It's heartbreaking. I know one of the little girls is 11 years old. My son knows her and they've lost everything," said Gill.

Investigators are on scene trying to determine exactly what went wrong while affected families are assisted by the Red Cross.

One fire fighter was treated for heat exhaustion at a local hospital but is expected to be okay.

Photo Gallery: 4-alarm apartment fire in Sarasota

 

Beau Zimmer, 10 News