A St. Louis firefighter was seriously injured battling a vacant building fire early Tuesday.
The fire broke out at about midnight at a two-story brick building in the city's Hamilton Heights neighborhood, the St. Louis Fire Department stated in a series of social media updates. When firefighters arrived, they encountered heavy flames coming from both floors.
Flames spread to a nearby building, and several people inside at the time were able to escape to safety, WMOV-TV reports. Crews deployed two lines, and they were able to put out the fire at around 1:30 a.m.
During the call, a firefighter suffered smoke inhalation and need to be "transported urgently" to the hospital, according to the department. The firefighter is currently in stable condition.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
