A two story home that had been sectioned off into 12 apartments went up in flames Friday afternoon, killing one man.
Twelve people were home when the fire started, 11 were able to get out, but firefighters were not able to rescue the one man who did not make it out.
red and white flashing lights will flicker through the night here along n-w 7th avenue and 2nd street where fast flames engulfed a two-story home before dinner.
Many of those who were home smelled the smoke and escaped. Bryce Smith said he grabbed a fire extinguisher.
"I did what I could to extinguish the fire, but it like exploded, it got big real quick," he said.
"It traveled from upstairs and it rushed, you heard everything just falling, the whole building just falling apart... within five minutes there was a big explosion, go boom," added Charquisha Dicks.
Eleven people got out and once they were outside they heard cries for help, but the flames kept them from going back in.
It was even too dangerous for firefighters and they had to abort their rescue and recovery.
"Conditions started to deteriorate, it caused ceilings to collapse on firefighters searching," said Captain Ignatius Carroll of Miami Fire-Rescue.
One man died in his room which was only a few feet from the front door.
Stunned and distraught, his housemates sat a few blocks away wondering what is next.
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"Everything that I had is gone now, everything is gone, my clothes, the sentimental stuff they're not going to be there anymore, I lost them," said Mayra Figueroa.
The American Red Cross arrived on the scene and one man agreed to take their help to stay at a shelter.
"At this point where are you going to stay, what are you going to do, I really don't know," he said.
Firefighters will be at the scene overnight putting out hot spots. The Fire Marshal said the cause is unknown at this time.
As for the resident, many of them just paid their rent Friday. One man said he was able to get his rent check back.
