An early-morning fire destroyed an apartment complex Tuesday and hospitalized eight people, including a Fort Worth firefighter.
The fire broke out at about 2:30 a.m. on the 4500 block of Campus Drive and did considerable damage to the Breckinridge Apartments. In all, 16 units were damaged and eight were destroyed by the fast-moving fire.
Fort Worth firefighters arrived at the scene about five minutes after the fire started, officials said. The fire is believed to have started in the living room of a downstairs unit before quickly spreading to apartments on the second floor.
One family tried to escape its second-floor apartment by going out the front door, but were met by a wall of flames at their exit and had to jump out of a window to safety.
"It appears that possibly the fire started in the apartment below where the family lived. When they made an attempt to go out the front door they were immediately blocked and could not get out," said Lt. Kent Worley of the Fort Worth Fire Department. "So, they had to go to their second means of escape, which we always tell people to be prepared for -- it's not something you want to do but in this case it possibly saved their lives."
The American Red Cross said it is currently helping 45 people who were displaced by the fire.
Eight people were injured and hospitalized after the fire, including two people who were transported by air ambulance. A Fort Worth firefigher was also injured while battling the fire.
None of the injuries is said to be life-threatening.
Copyright 2006 by nbc5i.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
