ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Firefighters with the Orange County Fire Rescue Department rushed to the Isles at East Millenia Apartments early Saturday morning.
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“Smoke was billowing out of those apartments,” said Lt. Chris Rubio.
New pictures show the intense flames ripping through the roof.
The complex does not have sprinklers inside the units, which Rubio said posed a challenge.
“Fires burn faster and hotter now than they did 50 years ago,” Rubio said.
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Jim McAllister has been with the fire department for 19 years. He said it was one of the most hectic scenes he has responded to.
“I’ve been on a lot of big fires, and this was probably one of the initial stages, one of the most chaotic I’ve ever been on just because of the sheer number of people that were in danger,” McAllister said.
When firefighters got to the complex, they heard people trapped on the third floor screaming for help.
The firefighters jumped into action.
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“We grabbed ladders and immediately went to the people,” firefighter Ashley Price said.
Unlike many other agencies, the fire department runs a small, four-person unit.
The small team makes for more efficient rescue efforts.
“Without that many people, we still would have been able to get it done. But it would have maybe been a little bit more of a struggle to how quickly we were able to do it was, was good,” Price said.
They also had help from Orange County deputies.
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“They actually helped us carry some ladders. They were helping get apartments evacuated on the stairwell that wasn’t affected by the fire. So they were knocking on doors, waking people up, say, ‘Hey, get out, get out,’” Rubio said.
Dramatic body camera video shows a deputy scaling a wall to rescue a 1-year-old.
Rubio said it was a team effort to get everyone out safely.
“I’m proud of my crew. Everybody did everything on scene. (They) did a really good job,” Rubio said.
It is still unclear what sparked the fire.
The state fire marshal’s office is investigating.
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