VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Thirteen people are displaced after a fire broke out at the Legends at the Beach apartment complex on Pheasant Run in Virginia Beach on Thursday afternoon, according to the Virginia Beach Fire Department.
Video sent from a News 3 viewer showed a large blaze coming from the second floor of a two-story building.
A total of 8 apartments were damaged by the flames and in addition to the people, six dogs and two cats were also displaced.
Fire crews arrived around 4 p.m. and as of 5:34 p.m., the fire department was still working on hot spots.
The fire department said that the fire started from a trashcan in the second-floor stairwell from discarded smoking materials. They say it was an accident.
There were no injuries to civilians, animals or firefighters.
News 3's Leondra Head spoke to a neighbor who had to evacuate.
"That was terrifying," Shannon, a neighbor who did want to give her last name, said. "That was the biggest fire I’ve ever seen. The whole place was in flames. My dog was freaking out. I had a hard time controlling her."
"We came outside with everybody else and the smoke was coming from all over," she continued. "They were worried that the fire may have almost come to my building because we were pretty close. But we were safe in the end."
The Red Cross is assisting with those displaced.
