Twelve people were displaced after a fire broke out at a townhouse complex in South San Jose Thursday morning, according to a fire official.

The fire ignited just before 6 a.m. near Don Seville Court and Velasco Drive, which is located next to Highway 85, San Jose Fire Department Cap. Brad Cloutier said.

Flames Rip Through Townhouse Complex in South San Jose

At least three units were damaged by the flames, which were seen by arriving firefighters driving on the adjacent highway, according to Cloutier.

No one was injured in the fire, but nine adults and three children were displaced, Cloutier said.

Residents in the complex were able to get out in time thanks in part to the quick thinking of Christopher Flores, who ditched his Starbucks run to knock on doors in hopes of alerting people to the blaze.

"The building was on fire and it's an apartment and I knew people were going to be living in there," Flores said. "I just wanted to help try and get them out if I could."



Residents told firefighters that the blaze may have started outside and spread inside and up into shared attic spaces via air vents, according to Cloutier.

The exact cause of the blaze is under investigation.

