AUSTIN, Texas — An apartment fire in North Austin forced more than two dozen people from their homes, and firefighters had to rescue two residents from the burning building.
According to Austin Fire Department (AFD) Division Chief Mark Bridges, crews arrived around 5 a.m. to the 502 North Apartments on West Longspur Boulevard, near the Quail Creek neighborhood. Bridges said the fire spread from outside to two units on the second and third floor.
"[Firefighters] saw the residents, and they heard the residents yelling at them from the [busted] window," Bridges said. "And so, they threw a ladder, an extension ladder, to the third floor window. Crawled up there and rescued both of the residents and got them to safety and got them over to EMS for treatment and transport."
The two victims were taken to Dell Seton Medical Center with potentially life-threatening injuries. Two others were also evaluated for injuries but did not need further medical assistance, according to Bridges.
Bridges said the fire was knocked down, but about four or five apartments were impacted and at least 30 people can't return home.
One of those people is Selena Perez's uncle. She said he called her to tell her about the fire and when she arrived, she saw the flames.
"The fire was going around. It was spreading around to over here, already over there too. A lot of people were evacuated, almost falling down" Perez said. "We hard somebody scream, like saying for help. Right when I heard the scream, I went running over here 'cause my Uncle Victor was there too."
Investigators are working to learn what started the fire, and the American Red Cross is working with the residents left without homes to try to find them somewhere to stay.
No additional information is available at this time.