- The fire in an apartment complex under construction started at 10 p.m. on Friday evening
- Residents in Visalia have been evacuated as a precaution
- The fire brigade spent an hour trying to get the ‘major’ fire under control
A massive fire has broken out at an apartment complex under construction in California. The local population has been ordered to evacuate the area.
The “major” fire started at the Visalia location on Friday around 10 p.m.
Dramatic video shows the complex going up in flames and a thick plume of smoke rising from the buildings.
It is not yet known whether anyone was injured or how the fire started.
Firefighters battled the blaze for about an hour before bringing the situation under control by 11 p.m. Visalia Times Delta reports.
A massive fire broke out at an apartment complex in Visalia, California on Friday evening
The fire started around 10 p.m. and firefighters had difficulty controlling the flames
Residents in the area were evacuated and locals were urged to avoid the area
They used aerial water cannons to extinguish the flames, which engulfed several apartment buildings.
Road closures were in place for hours to protect the public, who were urged to stay away.
Visalia Fire Department said in a statement Friday evening: “All Visalia fire units in the city are on the scene of a large fire at Akers Street and Riggin Avenue.
“Please avoid the area, there will be numerous fire trucks and fire hoses on the ground to extinguish the fire.”
The fire started in the area of the complex at Akers Street and Riggin Avenue.
The fire was so large that firefighters from Tulare County were called to assist and cover the rest of Visalia, while firefighters had all hands on deck.
Meanwhile, the glow of the flames was so great that it could reportedly be seen from across the city.
According to the Visalia Watchdog, only three or four of the 16 buildings in the project were damaged or lost last night.
Firefighters remained on site for several hours to identify any hotspots, the fire department said.