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Fire Officials Investigate Tremont Blaze

20 Residents Forced From Their Homes, 5 Buildings Ravaged

BRONX (CBS) ― A row of houses in the Bronx were ravaged by fire on Friday, forcing around 20 people from their homes.

"I saw the fire it was scary and I called the next door neighbor, who ran out in bare feet, no shoes no nothing," Tremont resident Amy Williams said. 

Home video taken by a neighbor shows how strong winds fanned the flames and helped them spread to all five homes. When it started at about 5 p.m. Friday, Williams ran outside and was on the street yelling for help.

"I said come quickly come quickly it's blazing."

More than one hundred firefighters reponded to the fire that destroyed five structures, two of which were abandoned, and sent five firefighters to the hopital with minor injures.

It took firefighters 2.5 hours to extinguish the blaze.

Williams said she told fire investigators she saw a man with a bag running from the burning abandoned building.

"The fire starting in an abandoned building and the amount of fire on arrival, it's suspicious," said Edward Baggott, FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief.

And while investigators continued to look for the cause of the fire relatives came to help Williams and give her a place to stay.

Patrick Waterman, a relative of Williams, said he'll "make sure that she is comfortable. Make sure she has a warm house and take it from there."

The exact cause of the fire was still unknown Saturday morning, but investigators suspected arson.

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