Fire Leaves 150 Homeless : Disaster: Fanned by gusty winds, blaze in Santa Ana apartment complex causes more than $3 million damage. Residents flee to safety but 3 firefighters are slightly hurt.

A fast-moving fire fueled by gusty winds and wood-shake roofs swept through an apartment complex Tuesday, leaving at least 150 people homeless and causing more than $3 million in damage.

About 100 firefighters spent two hours battling the blaze, which broke out at 3:12 p.m., apparently when sparks from a welder’s torch ignited a tree. The fire spread to several roofs of the Park Villa Apartments, 2001 N. Ponderosa St.

All residents were able to flee from the complex uninjured, but three firefighters suffered minor injuries while battling the blaze.

“The wind has given us fits,” said Fire Chief Allen (Bud) Carter. “The biggest problem we have had is these wood-shake roofs. The embers take off in the wind and get carried to other roofs.”

The fire, just north of 17th Street and west of the Costa Mesa Freeway, resulted in a severe traffic snarl that lasted for several hours. It caused 200 people in the area to lose electricity.

At least six separate buildings in the two-story apartment complex, including 42 units, were damaged. At least 12 of those apartments were gutted.

Quick-thinking neighbors ran through the complex knocking on doors to warn people of the blaze. Others stood on the roof with hoses trying unsuccessfully to douse it.

“The flames were just jumping real quick,” said Matt Appleby, who with co-workers ran from his job at nearby Jiffy Lube to bang on people’s doors.

“We wanted to tell people to get out,” he said. “Another guy was attempting to hose down the roof but there was just no way with the wind. It took only minutes for it to spread.”

As firefighters from six separate agencies battled the stubborn blaze, stunned residents began arriving home from work to an array of news cameras and dozens of onlookers.

“That’s my building, or what’s left of it,” said a dejected Mike Merez, who had just arrived home from work. “I have to find a place to live and start over. Everything I own is in there and I’m pretty sure it’s all gone.

“The building looks like history,” he added. “Now all we have to do is figure out who to sue.”

A group of four elderly women who are close friends and longtime residents of the apartment complex held hands as they solemnly stood outside the burning apartments.

“I have to call and find out if I have any relatives I can stay with,” said 84-year-old Janice Stewart, who had lived in her apartment since 1971. “I wasn’t able to save anything. It was so smoky, you could barely breathe.”

Stewart had just arrived home from lunch with neighbor Ann Roquemore, 70, who was only able to grab her purse, some medication and a photo of her late husband before the smoke grew too intense.

“I smelled the smoke but when I looked out my front door, I thought it was a long ways off,” Roquemore said. “But then I looked onto the roof and I saw several small fires starting so I ran in to get my stuff.”

Lynda-Jean Filipek, 30, stood outside commiserating with her elderly neighbors.

“It’s all gone,” Filipek said, choking back tears. “My cat is probably incinerated by now. I had already been packing up, ready to move. Now, I guess I’ll be moving sooner than I had planned.”

Rosa Ceja, 11, was watching television with her brothers, Sal, 18, and Luis, 11, when the fire broke out. The three escaped the apartment with only the clothes on their backs and their pet hamsters, Stinky and Red Eyes.

“They were all we were able to save,” said Rosa as she sat in a grassy area holding the small cage containing the pet rodents.

“We keep them right by the door,” she explained. “We tried to go back and get more but we had to get out. There was too much smoke. We got scared.”

Rosa and her two brothers were helped by Edna Peterson, who lives across the street from the complex.

“They were all coughing from the smoke,” Peterson said. “I gave them something to drink and tried to calm them down.”

Peterson said she immediately ran over to the apartments after seeing the flames and started banging on doors.

“I just wanted to get people out,” she said. “I was especially worried about the little ones because I have grandkids.”

Vicki Reeves, 43, asked firefighters about the welfare of her cat, named Brat. With tears in her eyes, Reeves said she was driving home from work when she saw the flames.

“As I got closer, I just knew and I got very weak in the knees,” she said. “I’m just really numb right now. Everything that was me, is gone. I have to start a whole new existence. I’m really crushed about my life and my pet.”

Not all pets were lost in the fire.

One 29-year-old resident, who identified himself only as Tom, was able to escape his apartment with his array of expensive, exotic animals including a blue and gold macaw, an iguana and an albino Burmese python, which slithered in a duffel bag next to its owner.

“I was watching cable TV when the electricity went out,” Tom said as he sat in a carport with his pets. “I got out with my pets. I’m just trying to get in touch with my girlfriend now.”

Steven and Cyndee Roberts had their arms wrapped around each other as they stood outside the still-burning complex with several neighbors.

“Boy, what a nice way to start out a new marriage,” Steven Roberts said as he watched the billowing smoke. “If our marriage can survive this, it can survive anything.”

The couple, married eight months ago, said their wedding album, high school yearbooks, computer and new furniture were all lost in the blaze.

“But those are just material things,” Cyndee Roberts said. “I’m just so glad no one was injured. It’ll take us awhile before we can build ourselves back up.”

Fire officials estimated damage to the buildings at $2.2 million and to contents at $1 million.

Deputy Fire Chief Wayne Bowman said firefighters expected to remain on the property at least until midnight because “the fire has weaved it’s way through some very difficult positions in the building--between walls, in the floor and in the insulation. We need to get all of the hot spots out.”

Times staff writer Stacy Wong contributed to this story.