Dumpster fire spreads to New Bedford buildings

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WHDH) -- Two apartment buildings went up in flames when a dumpster caught fire in New Bedford Thursday night.

Twenty people now have to find new homes.

Firefighters say a dumpster fire began around 6:30 Thursday night.

Flames quickly spread to two apartment buildings and a business.

Crews managed to extinguish the flames before the buildings collapsed.

Fortunately, no one was hurt.

“I was by myself, my neighbor knocked on my door and said the dumpster was on fire when the fire was already up to the second floor,” said a resident.

"The wind blew a certain way and the smoke came at my face and I knew the house was on fire,” one resident said. “I grabbed my grandson and I say, 'let's go. Get out, fire'."

"The driveway was so full of fire and smoke that I couldn't even go down the stairs; I had to jump over the railing," one man said.

Firefighters say given how quickly the flames were moving, the situation could have been much worse.

“It could always be much worse, we could have lost that building and all three of these, luckily we have a lot of manpower right now,” said a firefighter.

Officials said 45 firefighters responded and with the flames knocked out, residents were hoping they’d be let back in to get their belongings.

The Red Cross is now assisting anyone that was forced out of their homes because of the fire.

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