Apartment Fire in Tacoma Washington

An apartment building housing senior citizens caught fire Wednesday and at least one elderly man was flown to a Seattle hospital after being rescued from his unit.
The bedridden 85-year-old man was rescued from his first floor unit and airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Firefighters had to break out a back window and enter the burning apartment to reach him His condition was not available Wednesday evening.

"You just go by feel on those situations," said Lt. Bill Schleicher, one of the firefighters who ran in to get the man. "He was in there so it's part of the job you just go and do it and don't worry about it."

Margaret Jones, 92, had to be rescued from her second floor apartment. Firefighters helped her her down the ladder and she was not seriously injured.

"I only have the clothes on my back," Jones said. "Everything else burned."

Firefighters were called to the Golden Hemlock Apartments at Pearl and North 26th streets, northeast of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, about 4:45 p.m.

When firefighters arrived they found smoke and flames pouring from the building and had to break out a back window to reach the man who was trapped inside.

The complex, with 150 units, is for seniors and has several buildings, but only one was damaged.

Investigators think the blaze was sparked by something placed too close to a water heater, Tacoma Fire Department spokesman Dan Crotty said.

No damage estimate for the fire was available.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• vertical
• vent
• ventilation
• flames
• fire
• victim
• defensive
• attack

[fl407]

awome job! text book vent.

[krichards816]

Great vent, Nice job! , Good roof work. Looks like this department see's some jobs...

[munden1971]

That is scary.

[irisfirefighter]

just like turning a light on you can see now!