18 displaced in east Charlotte fire

Eighteen people were displaced Wednesday evening due to a fire at an east Charlotte apartment complex.

The fire broke out just after 8 p.m. at the Wendover Garden Apartments on Eastway Drive. Investigators said someone was cooking, and left the food unattended.

Firefighters at the scene told WBTV that the fire was able to spread so quickly because the tenant tried to fight the fire themselves before calling 911. They said an open door also allowed the flames to spread.

Once 911 was called, it took 50 firefighters to get the fire under control in about 12 minutes. However, eight apartment units were already damaged.

The Red Cross also responded to the complex to assist the 18 people displaced by the damage.

This story was originally published January 27, 2016 at 11:12 PM with the headline "18 displaced in east Charlotte fire."