The Associated Press
WATERBURY, Conn. —
A fire injured 16 people at an apartment building for the elderly and disabled early Thursday, forcing firefighters to use a ladder truck to rescue some residents from upper floors, officials said.
The fire in the Eastgate complex was reported shortly before 4 a.m. in a first-floor apartment and sent smoke throughout the four-story building. Eight apartments were seriously damaged.
“The smoke was heavy in the halls. It was hard to breathe,” resident Harriet Brown told WTNH-TV.
Two female residents were in critical condition at Bridgeport Hospital, and a man was in fair condition, hospital spokesman John Cappiello said.
The other victims, including a firefighter with a shoulder injury, were brought to Waterbury and St. Mary’s hospitals. Officials at the two hospitals did not immediately return messages seeking further information.
Firefighters contained the blaze in about 20 minutes, said Ray Lodge, director of communications for the Waterbury Fire Department. The cause remained under investigation.
Rescuers went door-to-door to get people out and used a ladder truck to help several others to safety. The dozens of residents who weren’t injured were brought to the other building in the complex.
Most of the injuries were smoke inhalation, fire officials said. None of the victims’ names were released.
The apartment complex was built in 1973. It includes subsidized rental apartments for low-income senior citizens and people with disabilities. The Red Cross was helping find shelter for those whose apartments were severely damaged.