6 Hospitalized After Fire At Apartments In Aurora
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - An overnight fire in Aurora sent six people to the hospital, including three children. The cause of that fire has been ruled accidental.
"We couldn't breathe so we couldn't come outside and someone came and pulled us out," said fire victim Luz Garcia.
It started just after 1 a.m. Friday at the First Avenue apartments. Neighbors said they heard an explosion. Everything inside that apartment was destroyed by the fire. The flames melted boots and burned furniture down to the metal frames despite firefighters being able to extinguish the fire in about 40 minutes.
One mother and her child credited the Aurora Firefighters for a quick response that saved them.
"He says, 'Thank you for saving my apartment,' and that made my morning," said Aurora Fire Battalion Chief Marty La Russo.
"I am actually just glad that both my kids are okay, that no one was seriously injured, everything can be bought again," said fire victim Tamara Studevan.
Studevan and her children walked out of their apartment with only what they were wearing. All of their possessions were saved by firefighters.
"They're great. They responded so well and there were so many of them," said Studevan.
Nearly one dozen apartment homes were evacuated but most residents were expected to be back in their homes by Friday evening.
All the people who were taken to the hospital had smoke-related injuries. They were treated and released.
The American Red Cross provided assistance to families who were forced out of their homes.
"It's like starting over but that's something material so we can get over that," said Garcia.
