Seven people left homeless after apartment complex fire

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) - The Pioneer Valley Red Cross Disaster Relief Team has found a temporary place for seven Chicopee fire victims to stay.

The seven had lived at 100 Debra Drive, a Chicopee housing authority complex in the Fairview section of the city.

The fire forced them into the street just after two o'clock Saturday morning. Everyone got out safety with just their night clothes on their backs.

Felicity Garcia told 22News, neighbors helped other neighbors escape from the burning building.

“When I heard the alarm I got up and I started to look out the window to see what happened. The big fire like that. I knocked at my door, I say it's a fire, It's a fire go down,” said Felicity Garcia.

Ellen Patashnick of the Pioneer Valley Red Cross told 22News, the tenants from the adjoining buildings whose apartments weren't affected by the fire, are being allowed to go back in.

She said the disaster team provided coffee and food for firefighters and everyone living in the complex.