Firefighters rescue sleeping man from burning apartment

By Nikki Villoria

Published Thursday, June 2, 2011 | 8:35 p.m.

Updated Thursday, June 2, 2011 | 9:59 p.m.

Firefighters rescued a sleeping man from a fire that displaced six families at a Henderson apartment complex Thursday evening, fire officials said.

Nobody was injured, officials said.

Henderson Fire Department Battalion Chief Matt Morris said the fire might have been electrical, but the cause is under investigation.

The blaze started about 4 p.m. in the attic of an upstairs unit at Bay Breeze Apartment Homes, near Green Valley Parkway and Warm Springs Road, and spread to five other apartments.

Morris said the first crew to arrive entered the apartment where the fire started and found a man sleeping on the couch. Firefighters woke him up and evacuated him to safety.

Eleven people and their pets were evacuated from the apartments, fire officials said. The blaze, which took about 15 minutes to extinguish, did about $125,000 damage.

The Red Cross arrived as residents were being evacuated and is assisting the families and their pets with food and shelter until they can make alternate arrangements or return to their homes.

“We are going to have a follow-up case worker that will work with them getting more services that will help them get re-established and long-term housing if some of them need long-term housing,” said Sherri Terando, an assistance worker with the Red Cross Disaster Action Team.

Apartment manager Emily Neilson said this is the first time there’s been a fire at the complex.

“Our concern right now is the residents and making sure they are comfortable and have a place to stay,” Neilson said.