Residents of a large apartment complex were evacuated today when a fire broke out in a second-floor unit.
Fire Chief David Berardesca said that one person, the resident of the unit where the fire broke out, was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation.
Upon arrival at the 630 Mix Ave. complex shortly after 11:30 a.m., firefighters observed heavy smoke billowing out of second-floor windows. Police officers who arrived on scene prior to firefighters had entered the building and evacuated residents. The fire chief commended those officers.
"They put themselves in harms way to make a rescue," he said.
Firefighters took over command and quickly knocked down the fire, which appeared to have started in a kitchen and spread beyond that. The cause of the fire does not appear to be suspicious, but the fire marshal is investigating.
Power had been out at the building, called the Broadmoor, due to Hurricane Sandy, but it had just recently been restored before the fire started, Berardesca said.
Firefighters were still ventilating the building as of 1:15 p.m. The chief said he expects that residents will be able to return to their homes within the next hour. There are about 200 residents in the complex, Berardesca said.
As he spoke, residents were outside, standing and clutching their pets—cats and dogs. Firefighters and officers were also carrying pets out of the eight-story building.
"If this had been night time it could have been a different story," he noted.
Editor's note: this article was reported by Paul Singley and written by Gary Jeanfaivre.
