A fire broke out Monday afternoon in an apartment building on Baseline Road, forcing residents onto their balconies because of thick smoke in the hallway.
“I couldn’t see a thing,” said William Beally. He said it was too dangerous to walk onto the sixth floor, so he shouted down the hall to warn people of the fire.
“You couldn’t see two feet in front of you,” said Beally. “The smoke was so bad you couldn’t breathe.”
Fire trucks arrived quickly, said Beally. Six trucks and two ambulances were on the scene.
The fire started in a kitchen on the sixth floor. Smoke spread quickly into the hallway because the apartment door was left open, said London Fire Department platoon chief Jeff Adams.
“The big issue here is to keep the door closed if there’s a fire in the apartment,” he said.
One man received minor burns after an attempt to put the fire out with an extinguisher. Several people were treated for smoke inhalation, but no serious injuries occurred.
Residents did the right thing by staying in the building, said Adams.
“It’s best to stay in your apartment if there’s too much smoke,” he said.
via Fire, smoke trap residents in units | London | News | London Free Press.
