A fast-moving fire displaced 14 people and collapsed a building in Atlantic City on Friday morning.
"In my 32 years I’ve never seen a building collapse so fast ever," Fire Chief Scott Evans said.
Fire filled the first-floor of the three-story wood-frame building when firefighters arrived on scene shortly after 3 a.m., Evan said.
But soon, "there was fire out of every window" of 213 N. South Carolina Avenue, Evans said.
Firefighters who had gone in the front door to check for occupants had to get out using a ground ladder.
"It was the only way out," Evans said.
"Incident Commander Victor Logan strategically pulled out all the firefighters as the fire advanced," Evans said.
A short time later, the building collapsed.
"It was very scary," said Evans, who was on scene. "My throat went right to my stomach."
Two firefighters suffered minor injuries: one hurt his knee coming down the ladder, and the other suffered a shoulder injury.
But without the quick actions of Logan and the crews on scene, it could have been a much worse outcome, Evans said.
Firefighters ran as they saw the building start to come down, with the debris on their heels.
Evans said he thought they would be digging through the bricks to get someone out after about 75 percent of the building came down.
"But when dust cleared, we realized no one was under the wall," he said. "They were definitely a little too close for comfort with firefighters narrowly escaping serious injury."
Occupants ran from the building with just the clothes on their backs, Evans said. Some didn't even get their cell phones or charges.
There were six apartments inside the building.
The Red Cross and Jewish Family Services are assisting those who were displaced.
