AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — Fire officials announced evacuation orders from the Parkside Apartment complex near Sable Boulevard and Alameda Avenue in Aurora.

“I just ran out as soon as I heard the explosion,” Xerek Segura, a resident at the complex, said.

“We had the alarms go off — standard, ‘Hey there’s an emergency in the building,'” Phillip Oransky, another resident, said.

Residents told FOX31 they saw smoke and smelled what they say was burning plastic or a chemical.

“I start smelling something, start seeing a little bit of whisps of smoke coming up,” Oransky said.

Residents looking for a place after explosion

Aurora Fire Rescue responded while residents watched from nearby businesses.

“I wonder what the safe distance to watch a fire is, next thing I know I just hear a bang,” Oransky said. “I see debris flying, there’s people lined against the Cheba Hut over there. First thing I can think is: not the safe distance.”

AFD reported three people with injuries, although they were not specific about what those were or even how bad.

“I think it’s flooded right now, but I’m a few doors down from this one right here,” Segura said.

Several of them looked for a place to stay Saturday night while fire investigators assessed the damage for a potential cause of this smoke and explosion.

“Vouchers and things like that from the Red Cross, but everybody is still kind of figuring everything out,” Oransky said.