MINNEAPOLIS — Three people were transported to a local hospital after being rescued from a burning apartment complex late Tuesday night in south Minneapolis.
According to the Minneapolis Fire Department, two residents were helped from their balconies and another was pulled from a smoke-filled hallway at the Woodhaven Apartments complex on Lyndale Avenue South. Officials say all three were in stable condition before being hospitalized for further evaluation.
Firefighters responded just before 10:30 p.m. after receiving several reports of smoke coming from the three-story complex. When crews arrived, smoke and flames could be seen jumping from the southeast side of the building. A car in the parking lot was also engulfed, according to a press release.
"Somebody was running around through the hallways, pounding on everybody's doors, screaming, "Get out! Get out!"" said Nicole Delong, who was inside the building at the time of the fire."... We couldn't see any of the fire, but it was pretty smoky in there."
Three firefighters were treated for overexertion and one for a dislocated thumb. Several animals were also rescued, but fire officials said one cat died in the fire.
Firefighters battled the blaze for several hours before crews were able to extinguish the flames. Officials said the fire extended to all three floors and damaged dozens of units. As many as 30 apartments have been deemed uninhabitable because of the damage, according to fire officials.
According to a press release from MFD, the building didn't have a sprinkler system and the standpipes malfunctioned. Residents whose apartments weren't impacted were allowed back into their units early Wednesday morning, while the Red Cross is assisting those who were displaced.
Investigators have yet to determine a cause of the fire.
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