Firefighters in Oklahoma City worked overnight to contain a massive fire that burned through a 326-unit apartment complex under construction.
Crews were first called to the The Canton at Classen Curve on the 1100 block of NW 63rd St. around 7 p.m. for a fire on the roof of the five-story building.
“Again, this is a very large complex that is being built. When we got here, there was basically smoke on the roof and a smaller amount of fire when we first arrived. But what we realized was the roofing material is a rubberized roofing material that basically it doesn’t go out well with water,” Battalion Chief Benny Fulkerson told KFOR.com.
The fire reached five alarms but additional units were summoned to the scene.
As fire spread through the massive complex, Fulkerson said a parking garage collapsed.
Reporters with KFOR.com reported that a balcony fell from the building as the fire progressed.
Footage from local television KOCO 12 hours after the fire was reported showed heavy smoke pouring from the building with bulk of the fire knocked down. Firefighters were using multiple aerial ladders to hit deep-seated pockets of fire and the roof was burned off the entire structure.
The complex was scheduled to open in the coming months.
