UPDATED: Passerby Alerts Residents to Farmington Hills Apartment Fire

UPDATE: An off-duty Southfield firefighter on his way to work is credited with alerting Farmington Hills firefighters and residents at Freedom Village apartments to an early morning fire that damaged two buildings.

Units from and Farmington Hills responded to the complex, which is located on Freedom Rd. west of Orchard Lake. Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Bersche said the fire began on a balcony outside one of the apartments, but no cause has been determined.

"They're still sifting through all that," he said. "There was significant fire damage to five apartments, and another eight are water-damaged."

The Southfield firefighter yelled and honked his truck horn, rousing everyone at around 5:30 a.m., residents said. All but one of 24 units in the affected buildings were occupied at the time of the fire. Tenants moved out of the vacant apartment just a week ago.

Lyndi Bostic, who has called Freedom Village home for 10 years, said she heard storm sirens go off this morning as well, and thought "Great, a tornado is coming and our apartment is on fire." 

She said residents were allowed to go back in the building for just a few minutes to retrieve identification and a change of clothes. Bostic and several other residents who spoke with Patch said they have renters' insurance and expected to have a place to go until their smoke-damaged apartments are cleaned.

and vehicles, and Concraft, which provides restoration services after damage from fire, water and wind, were still on the scene at around 11:30 a.m. 

Bersche said that while the fire started on the outside, it spread up and got under the roof soffit, setting the attic on fire.

While the damage is expected to be "substantial", Bersche said, no residents and none of the 27 Farmington Hills or eight Farmington Public Safety firefighters were injured.

"We're very thankful about that," he added. 

This is a developing story.