News 12 at 6:00, August 29, 2008

Augusta, Ga. -- Erica Davis and her daughter looking on at what's left of apartment building 10.

"It's so sad. They lost all their belongings," Erica Davis said.

The fire began around 10:30 last night at Merrick Place Apartments, thats off Skinner Mill Road in Augusta. Fire investigators say eight apartments were destroyed, six of them were occupied.

Fire investigators say the fire started in this front unit, inside the kitchen.

Lt. Neal Brown says someone left a pan of grease on the stove for 3 to 5 minutes.

"And when he returned it was already on fire. And it was up into the cabinets. And he said he could not put the fire out, so he alerted other occupants in his building to get out," Lt. Neal Brown said.

And the fire spread fast. You can see the vinyl siding all curled up, and this hanger melted in the parking lot. Fire investigators say the building is a total loss.

"It's the first time I've seen something like this, so I'm scared. I was scared for my daughter. I didn't know if the flames were going to rush over here to my house, because I live right here in this apartment," Davis said.

The devastation is too close to home for Erica. She lives in the building right across the parking lot.

"I'm sitting outside and I'm feeling the burn, the burn from the fire that's across the street, and I'm getting my daughter away from this because she's just 2-years-old and her skin is burning. I said we've got to go," Davis said.

Lt. Brown says everyone was able to get out safely.

Lt. Brown says the fire hydrant across from the building wasn't working. Firefighters had to leave the building and go to the closest hydrant, which was 500 feet away.