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Massive fire destroys Riverside apartment complex as residents describe smoke pouring from toilets before evacuation
A large fire broke out at the University Riverside Garden Apartments in Riverside, California, sending thick black smoke over the city and forcing the evacuation of all residents. A college student inside one of the units described hearing loud clinking noises before smoke began pouring from her toilet bowl. Crews continue working hot spots as parts of the building collapse from the inside.
A devastating fire ripped through the University Riverside Garden Apartments in Riverside, California on Friday, turning the sky black over the city and forcing the emergency evacuation of all residents from the complex. Firefighters continue to battle hot spots as sections of the building collapse inward, with the structure appearing to be a total loss.
Cheyenne Thomas, a college student who was inside one of the units when the fire began, described a terrifying sequence of events that unfolded around lunchtime. She heard a loud clinking noise that grew increasingly intense, and moments later noticed her entire toilet bowl was shaking. Smoke then began pouring from the plumbing before police arrived banging on doors to evacuate everyone from the building.
Her sister Brooklyn was returning from school when she saw the full extent of the blaze. She described arriving to find the entire top floor engulfed in flames, with a thick, acrid smell hanging over the area. The speed at which the fire consumed the building left residents with very little time to grab personal belongings before being ushered to safety.
Emergency crews responded in force to contain the blaze, which had fully involved the roof of the apartment complex by the time firefighters arrived on scene. As evening fell, crews were still monitoring the structure for additional collapses and working to extinguish persistent hot spots that continued to flare up within the destroyed building.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. For the displaced residents, many of them students at nearby universities, the immediate concern has shifted from the dramatic escape to the reality of having lost their homes and belongings. Local emergency services are coordinating temporary housing and assistance for those affected by one of the most significant residential fires in Riverside in recent memory.