Residents of SeaTac apartments call neighbor a hero

SEATAC, Wash. — Residents of a SeaTac apartment complex are calling a neighbor a hero after he succesfully warned several people about a large fire.

People there told KIRO 7 the fire happened at around 11p.m. Wednesday at the Sky View Park Villa Apartments near the Sea-Tac Airport.

Kent Regional Fire authorities said at least two apartments were gutted, with smoke and fire damage done to two others.

Firefighters were able to quickly knock the fire out before it spread to more units.

"He ran back and just started yelling and yelling, so I looked out and I saw all the flames and smoke shooting this way," resident Penny Carrillo said of the Good Samaritan.

Carrillo credits her and her granddaughter's escape to the actions of neighbor Yosef Berhe.

See photos of the damage here.

Berhe said he didn't hear fire alarms, and no one seemed to be aware of what was happening, so he quickly called 911 and knocked on several doors.

"I just shouted 'Fire, fire, fire!' And nobody was listening, so I had to knock on the doors," Berhe said.

The fire, according to investigators, started in an upstairs apartment and quickly spread to a second unit.

Kimberly Domingo said she was inside one of the damaged units and was able to escape with her husband because of Berhe's actions.

"It's good that he told everybody. If he didn't tell everybody, then something could have happened to us," said Domingo.

No injuries have been reported and fire investigators have listed the official cause as undetermined.

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