1 Firefighter Hurt, Residents Displaced After Second Alarm Fire
LITTLETON, Colo. (CBS4) - A South Metro firefighter was sent to the hospital early Saturday morning after responding to a second alarm fire. It happened at the Greystoke Apartments on South Reed Street near Wadsworth Boulevard and Chatfield Avenue at around 1 a.m.
Investigators say the multiple people were trapped and jumped from their windows to safety.
"It was pretty chaotic, and it was very sudden and very hot. People were scrambling to get their cars out of there as best as they could. From what I understand people were having to jump from balconies and windows," one neighbor told CBS4.
S REED ST UPDATE: SMFR & @WestMetroFire are on scene. Firefighters have rescued multiple people trapped in their units by fire. They are using ladders to windows on the outside of the structure to continue searching inside. One firefighter is being treated for an injury. pic.twitter.com/g11Q1WfAKc
— South Metro Fire Rescue (@SouthMetroPIO) December 21, 2019
They say the building was engulfed by flames, and the fire was so strong it extended to two nearby cars. The "radiant heat" also damaged other cars.
The stairwell was destroyed, forcing firefighters to use ladders to search for residents on the second and third levels of the building.
In all, emergency crews evaluated nine people for smoke inhalation, two of whom were sent to the hospital. One of those victims was a firefighter with a minor injury to his hand.
Firefighters found a cat in the chaos and reunited it with its owner.
The American Red Cross and Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Victim Advocates helped residents who were displaced from six units. West Metro Fire also responded.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.