EAST POINT, Ga. -- A couple of residents grabbed a fire extinguisher to try to put out a blaze at the Victory Place Apartments on Chateau Boulevard Sunday night.

"But the smoke was too intense," said resident Malcolm Wiley. "We could hardly breathe. So we came out and called the fire department."

East Point Fire crews got the call at 7:16 p.m. By the time they arrived, the flames had spread through eight units of a two-story brick building.

Fire officials called on units with the College Park and Hapeville Fire Departments to help.

It took them an hour to bring the fire under control.

No one was hurt, but the fire proved painful for residents.

"I heard screaming and hollering and people running in front of the building," said neighbor Bianca Duvall. "And I was like, God help them."

"I seen it get closer and closer to my apartment," Wiley said. "I lost everything."

Wiley was able to save his dog named King.

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"I just thought it's great cause, a great thing to do," said Odette Talbert, who enrolled at the Robert D. Fowler Family YMCA in Norcross.

Talbert said she was motivated by her family history.

"My grandmother had cancer of the esophagus, and my brother had colon and rectal cancer," she told 11Alive's Jennifer Leslie. 

Repairs by Senior Citizens Services to help seniors 55-years-old and over to age in their homes

The Fulton County Board of Commissioners voted today, March 6, 2013, to approve a $725,000 contract with Senior Citizens Services to provide home repairs for seniors living in Fulton County.  The services are intended to enable seniors to “age in place” by providing repairs or enhancements that will enable seniors to remain independent in their homes

Approved repairs under the contract include:

• Installation of grab bars or ramps
• Removal of safety hazards, such as tripping hazards in the home or on the premises
• Minor repair of heating, cooling, plumbing, or electrical systems
• Minor structural repair
• Painting to prevent deterioration

Repairs costs will average $2,000.  Funds for the repairs will come from the approved FY2013 General Fund Budget of the Housing and Human Services Department Budget.