Authorities have reopened Cherry Avenue in Long Beach’s Cambodia Town neighborhood after firefighters battled a blaze at a multifamily residential building late Tuesday morning.
Neighbors said the fire at 1420 Cherry Ave. started around 10:50 a.m. Northbound traffic on Cherry Avenue was blocked off at Anaheim Street, while southbound traffic was blocked off at 15th Street.
The Long Beach Fire Department responded to the call at about 11 a.m. and extinguished it in about 10 minutes. No injuries were reported. Two people were displaced as a result of the fire, and they’re being assisted by the Red Cross, according to the LBFD.
A cause has not been determined.
Maria Higueros, 37, and Ramona Quintero, 52, were inside their apartment in the building next door when they felt a sudden wave of heat followed by the sound of glass breaking. When they peeked outside their window, they witnessed heavy flames and smoke coming from one of the apartment units in the building next door.
The two women said they started screaming and alerting their neighbors as they worried about the fire spreading to their homes. One neighbor, who declined to be named, said he tried to extinguish the fire himself, but when he kicked down the door to the apartment, he was overwhelmed by the flames.
This story is developing and will be updated.