ORISKANY, N.Y. -- Sandy Joyner was at work when she heard the news: Her apartment complex was on fire.
"My house is right next door to it, and I do have pets in there, and I'm concerned," she said.
When fire crews were called to the apartment complex, known by many in the village as the 'Brick Block,' much of the damage had already been done.
"I arrived on the scene shortly after it was called in, probably within a minute, and there was already fire coming out all four windows," said Oriskany Fire Chief Jeff Burkhart.
Several other departments arrived on the scene to help. They had one goal in mind: to keep the fire contained to the apartment where it originated. They were successful, causing only minor damage to the neighboring apartments, but they said it was extremely difficult.
"There's multiple stories on the roof, so there's multiple layers of roof," Burkhart said. "In addition to that, there was a cockloft above the second floor, which is where the fire was when we tried to put it out."
Crews were also battling heavy smoke, making it hard to see and breathe.
"It's tough to find out even where you're walking sometimes, depending on which way the wind was blowing," Burkhart said.
Fire officials say occupants were doing maintenance on their fireplace when the fire broke out. Everyone escaped the building in time. One person was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation. The Red Cross was on the scene, offering assistance to everyone who was affected.
"All units were occupied, and so there are eight families affected, and we'll be helping them with their immediate needs for the next 72 hours," said Mallory Scheve, executive director of the Red Cross' Mohawk Valley Chapter.