The call of ''smoke in the closet'' came at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. When firefighters responded to the Winston Towers 100 Building at 250 174th St., they found the fire more serious than they had initially thought.
''The fire was burning very hot,'' said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Lt. Eric Baum. Firefighters used axes to break a hole into the apartment from the hallway.
Two residents of the apartment were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation, Baum said.
The fire was put out quickly, and major damage was contained to one apartment.
''We didn't evacuate the building but took out people in immediate danger,'' Baum said.
Everyone but the residents of the burned apartment were able to return home that night after a damage assessment to the 10th, 11th and 12th floors.
The fire, which caused an estimated $140,000 in damage to the apartment, was sparked when a halogen lamp fell over, Baum said.
Five Miami-Dade County firefighters had just received recognition for 30 years of service when they responded to the initial call.
''The spectrum of experience on the job went from the first day out of the academy to 30 years,'' Baum said.
Lt. Ray Goodman, Lt. William Peeples, Chief Gene Cole and firefighters Warren Burgs and Charlie Smith received 30-year plaques about an hour before the call. Firefighter Monika Calderin was on her first day on the job.
