Fire rips through post office, apartments in Santa Cruz Mountains: Here's a look at aftermath
BROOKDALE, Calif. (KGO) -- A devastating fire overnight Friday has left several people without a home and a community without a post office.
It happened in Brookdale, an area in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
The living nightmare for residents started when a fire broke out in their apartments overnight.
The Boulder Creek Volunteer Fire Department said it happened just after midnight Friday.
Situated in the mountain community of Brookdale, the apartments sit above the local post office.
"All my ceilings caved in. I have water everywhere. So yeah, we were out of a house to live right now," Jon Bowles, from Brookdale.
MORE: Crews investigating 1-alarm SF warehouse fire
Bowles said he lives downstairs and was woken up by the commotion.
"Didn't know exactly what was going on until the next-door neighbor, Tim, came up and knocked on our door and let us know that the apartment was upstairs was on fire," Bowles said.
Fire officials confirm it was neighbors who helped four people out of the building before fire units could get there, but two children and one man were still inside.
Alekz Londos shot video of the scene and saw much of the chaos unfold.
"There's adults yelling, 'There's another child in the building' and eventually one of the men broke the window to get onto this roof," Londos said.
Officials say the adult and two young victims were taken to the hospital, saying all are doing well and recovering from burns and smoke inhalation. A family dog, died in the fire.
Officials say the post office is temporarily closed, workers were tasked Friday with relocating mail to the Boulder Creek Post Office for residents to pick up.
"The water damage is the worst," said Lanette Kuhr, Brookdale Postmaster, "All of the sheet rock from up above is dropped down."
Daniel Corry says he is an uncle by relationship to a family displaced by the fire.
MORE: Fire partially destroys warehouse of one of largest mushroom farms in Bay Area
He came to the building to see the damage for himself.
Despite the loss and damages, he's feeling a sense of gratitude.
"Absolutely relieved that nobody died in that fire," Corry said.
Still, he acknowledged the road ahead for his relatives will be tough.
"Sad days are coming. A lot of work to do, but we're just going to have to take it as it comes. That's all I can say," Corry said.
Londos who lives not far in Scotts Valley says he's confident that the tight mountain community will rally around those displaced.
"Community is resilient," he said, "You know, people are going to come together."
