Large Cary apartment fire displaces 20 people

The fire was reported just before midnight on Tuesday at 206 Hyde Park Ct. The fire spread to all three floors and into the attic of the building.

"It had a pretty good head start on us,” said Cary Assistant Fire Chief, Loren Cone.

Neighbors said flames were showing from the building, and the fire caused the chimney to collapse.

"You could feel the heat through the window," said Kristie Zothner, who lives in the building next to the one that caught fire. "My mom yelled, 'Fire,' and I ran and got my cat."

Denise Neibert said when she got out of her building she could see "huge flames."

But, in the midst of the sadness over the community's losses, Claudia Jordano, who escaped from the third floor with her boyfriend, said she was thrilled firefighters were able to recover some of her family photos.

"Wallets, ID, car keys. We don't have anything, but my pets are safe, and we are safe. I think that's the most important thing," she said.

Fire alarms in the complex were working, officials said, and some neighbors helped clear the building of other residents. There were no injuries reported.

Authorities have not determined what caused the fire.