June 23--City of Bakersfield firefighters pulled three people from the window of a smoke-filled apartment Sunday morning after they were trapped by flames that had engulfed their stairs.
The trio escaped unharmed.
Bakersfield Fire Department engines and ladder trucks responded to the blaze in the 1900 block of Real Road just after 9 a.m., a department report stated.
The first firefighters on scene found fire and smoke coming from an exterior walkway and patio of the two-story apartment building.
The fire had burned into the walkway's second story where it had engulfed the stairway into the second story apartment and cut off escape for the occupants.
Those three people were hanging out of a window to escape the smoke, according to fire department reports.
Firefighters grabbed ladders, raised them to the window and pulled the three people to safety.
They suffered smoke inhalation but declined medical help, firefighters reported.
Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze but the flames and smoke did serious damage to three of the four units of the apartment complex.
The seven people in the two downstairs apartments were able to get out without help from firefighters.
But a total of 10 people were displaced by the fire and were offered Red Cross help to find housing, fire officials reported.
Copyright 2014 - The Bakersfield Californian
