Several Merced families were displaced early Tuesday morning after a fire ripped through two apartment buildings in the 1800 block of Willowbrook Drive.
Firefighters said it's a miracle none of the nearly 40 people affected by the fire was injured.
The fire was reported shortly after midnight. Both buildings were fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived. The cause of the fire is unknown and remains under investigation, Merced Fire Chief Ken Mitten said.
The buildings each had 16 units, all of them occupied.
The fire took two hours to contain. Firefighters remained at the scene throughout the morning and early afternoon, cleaning up piles of charred debris.
Mitten estimated damage at $2.5 million. The damage was so extensive, Mitten said, that both buildings probably will have to be torn down.
The buildings weren't equipped with ceiling sprinklers, Mitten said.
Clifford Dale and his wife, Joyce, were among the families who escaped the fire. Dale said his dog, Diva, alerted him to the flames.
Dale said he knew something was wrong after Diva wouldn't stop barking and kept running back and forth in the apartment. Dale looked outside and saw a tree next to his apartment engulfed in flames. "I said, 'Joyce, this is serious. We've got to get up out of here!' "
The Dales and their dog ran from the apartment and escaped to safety.
Meanwhile, Tim DuPree and other residents of the apartment complex saw the flames and began going door-to-door, trying to get everyone out of both buildings. "It was pretty much a community effort to make sure everyone got out," DuPree said.
Dale was especially appreciative after a firefighter went into his apartment and retrieved his waterlogged wallet.
Although Dale probably won't be able to retrieve all of his property, he was optimistic. "Those are just things. They can be replaced," Dale said, adding that he and his wife are glad to be alive.
About 50 firefighters responded to the scene, along with seven fire engines and one ladder truck.
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