'I don't have anything': 3-alarm blaze rips through Northgate apartments

SEATTLE - Fire crews rushed to the scene of a 3-alarm fire at an apartment complex in Seattle's Northgate neighborhood Saturday afternoon.

The Park Meridian Apartment complex, a three-story apartment building, is at 113th Street and Meridian Avenue North.

Firefighters arrived on scene just after 3:30 p.m. and immediately upgraded the fire to a two-alarm blaze. Shortly after, the blaze was upgraded to three alarms.

At least 13 engines and nine ladder trucks were called in, in addition to multiple fire crews. The fire has been extinguished, firefighters say.

Authorities do not believe anyone was inside the complex at the time of the fire. Crews battled the blaze from the outside due to the possibility of collapse. Surrounding streets were closed off to traffic as crews doused the flames.

The three-story building has 60 units in it with about 20 units per floor, the Seattle Fire Department said.

Fire authorities helped several families from the building. Some residents say they didn't hear any smoke detectors going off.

One woman in the complex when the fire broke out says she was taking a nap when she smelled smoke and saw firefighters running with hoses.

"When I opened my window, I saw a lot of smoke, you couldn't even breathe," the resident said. "Then I tried to wake up my husband and tried to run outside ... I don't have anything."

Many families at the complex say they lost everything in the fire. The Red Cross says it is working to assist residents that need help.

One firefighter suffered minor injuries while fighting the fire. Investigators say they will likely be on scene for several days as they try to figure out what caused the building to erupt in flames.