11 units destroyed in southeast Charlotte apartment complex fire

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Fire investigators are looking for a cause of a massive apartment fire that destroyed 11 units.

Firefighters said 21 units were affected at the Matthews Crossing Apartments off Independence Boulevard.

Officials said it took 60 firefighters to get the three-alarm fire under control Wednesday night.

Several families that were forced out of their homes came back Thursday morning to survey the damage.

Channel 9 spoke to one woman who said she is expecting a lot of water damage in her bottom-level apartment, but she is grateful everyone got out safely.

"My whole life is there, but we are so thankful that me and my boyfriend and my son was out," said Walderez Coelho.

Alex Caron was in a unit on the far end, away from the most intense part of the fire.

"I was sitting down in the living room with my mom watching TV and I heard the alarm go off," Caron said. "We were lucky that the fire department got here when they did and started putting it out before it spread and started putting it out before it already to everybody's."

The building was equipped with sprinklers but they were no match for the flames that were so hot it melted the siding of the adjacent building.

Fire investigators estimate the damage to be at $500,000. 

The Red Cross is helping the families that were affected find places to stay.

Many are staying with friends or family, while the rest have been placed in another unit in the complex.

Chopper 9 flew over the complex Thursday morning, where one building is completely destroyed.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

WSOC