May 14, 2008 - 5 Residents Survive Apartment Fire

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Firefighters rescued four people from a burning apartment building in Baltimore, Maryland, early Wednesday. A fifth victim jumped from the building after suffering injuries to her hands, arms, and feet.

Emergency crews responded to a three-story, garden-style apartment at about 6:45 a.m. Wednesday morning. When firefighters arrived, the apartment building was almost entirely engulfed in flames and obscured by smoke.

A spokesman for the fire department, Kevin Cartwright, said that the woman who was injured and jumped from the burning building was transported to Bayview Medical Center. She is in stable condition after sustaining burns to her hands, arms, and feet.

Firefighters rescued the four others from the building using fire department ladders. "At first, we were going to try to jump, but my son was scared," one of the residents, Monique Holmes, said. "They got all of us out on ladders because that's the only way they could get us out."

"I remember this big orange light and smoke," said 10-year-old Marcus Clark, another rescued victim.

Eight of the apartments sustained fire, smoke, and water damage. The Red Cross responded to assist those who were displaced from their homes because of the fire.

Firefighter Ray Hudson said, "Once we get on scene and see people in jeopardy, the training takes over and we focus on getting the people out." The cause of the fire is still under investigation.