Fire forces evacuation of Orchard Park apartments

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) - Fire crews battled a blaze at the Green Lake Apartments in Orchard Park on Monday that forced residents out into the cold.

Smoke coming from the apartments on North Lake Drive could be seen for miles. The fire chief says the blaze appears to have started in an attached first-floor garage before spreading up through the building and collapsing the roof.

The three-story building is a total loss.

No one was hurt. Orchard Park Police were able to alert residents to the fire and evacuate those who were home in the nine-unit apartment building.

Some pets perished in the blaze.

Several fire companies, including East Aurora and Hamburg, were called in to help fight the fire. There was only one hydrant in front of the apartments and crews had to run multiple lines from South Buffalo Street to bring water to the blaze.

On top of that, crews were dealing with the extreme cold.

Orchard Park Fire Chief Richard Mrugalski said, "That's why we have the NFTA bus for our firemen. The residents who were here were taken to the municipal building to keep warm. We also evacuated residents from an adjacent unit and they've been taken to the municipal building to keep warm."

Residents from the adjacent building were evacuated because the smoke and flames were so intense.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The Red Cross is assisting 14 people.