FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Firefighters have rescued two men in wheelchairs from an apartment fire in Fort Lauderdale, but one of them had to be transported to the hospital for smoke inhalation.
Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue crews responded to the scene along Northeast 18th Avenue, at around 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, after receiving a call about the fire ripping through the complex.
The two wheelchair-bound men were rescued from different apartments, but crews had to transport one of them to get checked out.
“Where the fire originated is the victim we located and transported,” said Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Michael Hicks.
About 26 firefighters helped the families who live in the apartment community.
The fire started in a home on the first floor. Raymond Freeman lives on the second floor, and he knew better than to ignore the alarm going off in the building.
“At first I went back to sleep. Then I’m like, ‘No, you better get up,'” he said. “I got up and saw smoke over here, smoke over there.”
Footage from 7SkyForce showed firefighters helping out the families.
Ray Bennett hopes he can go home soon.
“There was a fire next door,” he said.
Bennett was the second man rescued.
“They dragged me through the house,” Bennett said.
Firefighters are still investigating what caused the fire.
The Red Cross is expected to help 10 people who were displaced by the fire.
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