Fire tears through West Haven apartment complex

WEST HAVEN, CT (WFSB) - A fire tore through multiple floors of an apartment complex in West Haven late Wednesday night.

Now, six families are out of their home.

A Channel 3 viewer shared video footage of first responders working outside at 89 Coleman St. in West Haven.

This eyewitness video shows you what it was like at the Mallard Brook Crossing Condominiums around 10:30 last night.

The fast-moving fire quickly turned into the equivalent of a third alarm.

“You could smell it. It was very, very thick,” explained Yudell Cornette. “I ran out here, saw a bunch of cops, firetruck came through here. It was really bad.”

Hours later, firefighters were back, checking over the damage. Residents packed up whatever they could salvage.

Clutching her cell phone and a garbage bag, Nadine Streater is holding out hope of saving anything from what’s left of her burned-out condo.

“That’s my unit right there, first floor,” Nadine said. “Everything is gone, everything, pictures, everything, it’s hard.”

As for what happened, Nadine said she could smell a little smoke last night but said it wasn’t enough to set off her smoke detector.

“Next thing you know, the windows bursting through the first floor, and the fire started,” said Nadine. “I had to run out the back door, not the front door because the front was engulfed in flames. Knocked and banged on the first-floor door, scream and holler, ‘please, everybody get out there is a fire.’”

Everyone was able to make it out of the six units, and firefighters kept the flames from spreading next door.

The Red Cross is helping 15 people who are now without a home.

“We just lost everything, so it’s very hard not being able to come home,” Nadine said.

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