More than 20 people were left homeless after a fire raged through a Morgan Street apartment building early Sunday morning.

There were no injuries, thanks to some quick action by one of the residents.

John Skeens, 21, who had lived at the apartment building since September 2008, said he smelled smoke and started banging on doors to get people out of the towering inferno.

“I had to go in and get everybody out,” Skeens said. “I noticed the flames in Apartment No. 2 and went in and tried to get her dogs. I heard them stop barking and I knew they were a lost cause. I got to thinking about the people upstairs and went in to get them. I got two people out and by the time I got them out and all the doors open to make sure there was no one else in there, the smoke overwhelmed me and I got down on my hands and knees and got fresh air from close to the floor and I crawled down the stairs to the opening. I couldn’t go back in, so I rushed to get the firefighters to get them over there.

“It went up in about 15 minutes. It destroyed everything. I walked into (Workman’s) kitchen and the flames were hitting me in the face. Her dogs were barking and crying and it was too hot to go in there so I started calling for the dogs to come to me to safety, but I heard them shut up and it clicked in my head that there was a family of four upstairs and an elderly lady. I had to kick the door down to get her out of the apartment. I’d say there were maybe 14 in the building when it caught on fire. There were probably 20 people left without homes. I don’t know what I’ll do. I just buried my last grandma last week and all I’ve got are friends. I’d lived here since September and I lost everything except what I’ve got on and it’s soaked and full of smoke. But, I thank God I was awake, because if I hadn’t got the woman in the middle apartment out, she would have died. She’s an elderly lady and not well-off, and if I hadn’t gone back in for her, she wouldn’t have made it. And I would do it again tomorrow, if I had to.”

Skeens said when he realized how fast the fire was growing, he knew immediately that he had to try to get everyone out.

“I would want somebody to come back after me,” Skeens said. “I knew the people in there were helpless and some were hard of hearing. They couldn’t hear a fire alarm nor anybody screaming for them. I knew I had to go back in there. I didn’t want there to be another tragedy like (the recent fire at Monaville that left five dead). I tried to go back for more, but I just couldn’t make it. I came outside and the fire truck had just pulled in and I told them there was a family of four upstairs and they got them out safely.”

Logan Fireman Tony Casey said the cause of the fire hasn’t been determined and is still under investigation.

“We rescued 10 people from the building,” Casey said. “It was a four-story apartment building and a duplex out back caught fire, too. We were there from 3:30 a.m. Sunday morning to about 1 p.m. The best we can tell, it started in a downstairs apartment. When we got there it wasn’t that bad, but it just went up and spread and caught the duplex out back on fire. It was a mess.”

Casey said both buildings were total losses.

Jim Stephenson, the American Red Cross Central West Virginia assistant director of preparedness and response, said the disaster shelter will try to help people get back on their feet.

“We opened the shelter around 8:45 a.m. (Sunday) and, so far, we’ve had 10 people register for the shelter,” Stephenson said. “We fed them some snacks this morning right after we got the shelter open and then we had lunch about noon that was donated to us. We’ll have supper and then a late-evening snack. We have continuous drinks and snacks the whole time we’re open.

“Currently, we’re doing client casework and that’s where we give direct assistance to the victims involved in the fire. We buy them clothing and other essential items they need. We had one client that had a medical problem and we were able to get paramedics over here to get him over to Logan Regional Medical Center.”

Barbara Messer, a neighbor who has lived next door to the building for the past three years, said she had to evacuate because of the raging fire.

“There was a fire truck out here and big flames shooting out everywhere,” Messer said. “We left out of here because the flames were shooting over top of these houses. The firemen and police did real good getting everyone out. It was really dangerous.”

The American Red Cross workers came from Charleston and will be staying until help can be given to those who need it.

“We’ll keep this open as we feel like it’s necessary,” Stephenson said. “At least through Monday. We’re going to try to help these folks find a place to live. That might be difficult because I don’t think there are a lot of rentals available around Logan County. We’ve also set up cots here in case they want to rest.”

Jeffrey A. Gray, American Red Cross director of emergency services for the Central West Virginia chapter, said the Red Cross will give whatever assistance.

“Right now, we have a shelter and we’re providing shelter, food and clothing,” Gray said. “We’ll provide whatever other assistance we can. There’s not a thing left. It burned up my brand-new living room suit. It’s awful.”

Tina Dingess, a resident of the apartment building, said she came home from work and the apartment building was on fire. “I came in and it was on fire and my whole apartment, everything I owned, was gone,” she said. “I’d lived there a month and I don’t know what I’ll do now.”

Norman Lawrence, a resident of Apartment No. 1, arrived on the scene after his son called to tell him the building was on fire.

“The only things we have left are the clothes we’re wearing,” Lawrence said. “My son called me and told me I needed to come pick him up. I got here after the fire was already going.”

Marlena Workman, who lived in Apartment No. 2 where it is believed the fire started, said she ran to get out of the burning building.

“I grabbed some clothes off the clothes hangers, but it was too hot,” Workman said as she registered with the American Red Cross. “But, my dogs didn’t make it out.”