New Hope Residents Lose Everything In Apartment Fire

NEW HOPE, Minn. (WCCO) -- A fire forced more than 200 people out of their apartments Sunday morning in New Hope.

Massive flames destroyed six units and damaged many others at Pheasant Park Apartments around 7:30 a.m.

"When we looked down we just saw the smoke going up," resident Edwina Hiamah said.

Hiamah said her husband and a neighbor helped pull a man out of the first floor, where crews believe the fire originated from an appliance.

One person was taken to the hospital with injuries. The extent of the injuries is unknown.

"People pitched together, neighbors who needed help getting out, we're helping each other get out so I was really proud of that," said Leah Thompson, who evacuated with just her clothes and her cat.

Fire crews on the scene said six apartments were destroyed and at least nine others damaged, leaving up to a hundred people without a place to stay, including Gabrielle Schulz and Ben Dauk who lived on the third floor.

"We're lucky we woke up to the alarm. Otherwise, we for sure would not be sitting here," Schulz said.

They said the fire left them with nothing besides their cars, cats and themselves.

"It's definitely a very low blow and not the best way to start a Sunday morning," Schulz said.

The Red Cross is helping those who lost their homes find temporary housing.

The official cause of the fire is still under investigation.