ATLANTA — Calvin Swanson was on his FedEx delivery route, as a fire broke out at an Atlanta apartment complex Monday night.
Swanson said he saw smoke and went up to help a lady down from an apartment building at 1700 Stanton Rd SW.
Atlanta Fire Rescue crews worked to extinguish the flames that were shooting out of the top of the two-story building around 8:30 p.m.
"You couldn't breathe, if there was anybody trapped inside there, you couldn't breathe," Swanson described. "I knocked on doors, I had my flashlight... And I knew that the fire was going to spread from unit to unit-- it was just a matter of time."
Swanson said he went back to help the dog that was chained to the porch. He was able to cut the chain and help the dog to safety, as firefighters arrived.
Atlanta Fire Rescue Batallion Chief Deaunte Greer said approximately 18 adults, six children and three dogs were displaced from the fire. No one was hurt in the fire, including the firefighters, Grier said.
"The fire was so intense when we got here that it also caught the trees on fire that were behind the complex. Once the fire broke through the roof of the apartment complex," Grier said. "It was a difficult time trying to get the apartment contained and trying to put out spots in the rear of the apartment."
Firefighters were able to get the flames under control in about 1.5 hours, Grier said. Crews are still working to extinguish hotspots from the fire.
Officials have not yet said what sparked the fire.
The Red Cross has been contacted and is on its way to help the families displaced from the fire, Grier said.
News happens fast. Download our 11Alive News app for all the latest breaking updates, and sign up for our Speed Feed newsletter to get a rundown of the latest headlines across north Georgia.