A man cooking a meal Thursday sparked a fire that engulfed four units and damaged four others in a Carmichael apartment complex, fire officials said.
The fire was reported about 5:35 p.m. Thursday in an apartment complex at 5101 Hackberry Lane, according to Michelle Eidam, with the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District.
Firefighters arrived to find flames coming from the complex, the breezeway engulfed in flames, Eidam told Patch.
"Wind made it intensely focused in that area," Eidam told Patch.
"The breezeway kind of acted as a wind tunnel," Eidam said.
Initial reports indicated two children were trapped in one of the units but when firefighters broke through windows to enter, they found no one inside, Eidam said.
Eight families were displaced by the fire; the man who had been cooking suffered injuries and was taken to a hospital.
A firefighter suffered smoke inhalation, Eidam said.
Red Cross workers went to the scene to assist the families and management was working to find vacant units for temporary use, Eidam said.
In addition to the eight damaged units, there were two vehicles burned, she said.
The damage was estimated at $425,000, Eidam said.
