Local
Miami apartment fire displaces 15, including residents with limited mobility
A fire on the fourth floor of a building at 5275 NW Seventh St. sent two people to the hospital and displaced 15 residents early Tuesday. More than 100 firefighters responded, and the cause remains under investigation.
A fire that broke out in a fourth-floor apartment early Tuesday displaced 15 residents of a five-story Miami building and sent two people to the hospital, Miami Fire Rescue said.
Firefighters were called to 5275 NW Seventh St. at about 2:30 a.m. and found heavy smoke coming from the fourth floor. Crews upgraded the response to a second alarm as firefighters fought the flames and searched apartments for residents needing help.
Some residents were wheelchair users or confined to their beds, making evacuations more difficult, officials said. More than 100 firefighters responded. The fire was contained to the apartment where it started and brought under control in about 30 minutes, but smoke damaged the fourth floor.
Four residents were assessed for minor smoke inhalation. Two were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital in stable condition, fire officials said.
The affected floor has 12 apartments, four of which were vacant. Residents of the eight occupied units were displaced. The American Red Cross responded to help, and was working with building management to see whether some residents could move into vacant apartments in the building.
The building’s elevator was damaged, adding concern for residents with limited mobility. The city’s Building Department and an electrical engineer were contacted to assess the property.
A 36-year-old resident whose apartment is on the floor where the fire began said she escaped with her 2-year-old son. She said they left without necessities, including diapers, clothes and milk, and did not have access to their belongings.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.