Nearly two dozen people are without a home after an apartment fire broke out early Tuesday in the 4000 block of Mabery Court on the west shore of Granbury Lake in Hood County.
"All you saw was orange," Aaron Landis said. "It was big. It lit up the night sky."
Landis lives about 100 yards from the Ridge Apartments, where the fire took place.
Three entire buildings of the complex burned down. Four hours after it started, the fire left charred piles of debris were still smoldering.
"It's gone," Alane Blake said in shock. "Ashes, to the ground is what I understand."
Blake and her husband owned 21 of the 30 units destroyed. She said they rent the furnished units to various tenants.
"Just to know everybody got out OK is the most important thing," she said.
No one was hurt during the fire, but by daybreak, the lakeside retreat was in ruins.
Hood County Fire Marshall Brian Fine said the estimated damage is well over $1 million.
"I'm sure we'll rebuild them, but the work in that, I can't even imagine," Black exclaimed.
Investigators still have not determined the cause of the fire. The American Red Cross is assisting the displaced residents.
