Fire breaks out at Horsham apartment complex, residents evacuated

HORSHAM, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- A fire broke out at a Montgomery County apartment complex early Friday morning, damaging several apartments and forcing a building to be evacuated.

Residents at the English Village Apartments on the 700 block of Lower State Road in Horsham said they woke up to smoke alarms and heard a neighbor knocking on doors around 5:30 a.m.

"He was banging on everyone's door telling everybody get out," resident Judayah McGruder said.

"I'm like- we can't get nothing- just hurry up get out. Grabbed my dog," said Erianna McGruder.

Cell phone video showed black smoke in the window at the apartment building.

"I woke up just hearing the fire alarms, and that's when I heard them upstairs banging on doors. All you hear is- 'boom boom boom, fire' and I'm like 'this is serious, we gotta go,'" Erianna McGruder said.

Firefighters and police were called to the scene.

According to Fire Chief Lee Greenberg, "On arrival, we found heavy fire and smoke showing from the second floor apartment."

Several people were stuck inside their apartments.

"A young mother and a baby were assisted out by police, and an elderly couple was brought down a ground ladder," Chief Greenberg told reporters.

Greenberg said the fire consumed one apartment and damaged at least three others.

No serious injuries were reported.

Residents said employees at the apartment complex provided food to the residents who had to evacuate; they said people were offering warm socks and supplies to help those who could not get back in their homes.