Fire breaks out at Miami Beach apartment building; dozens temporarily displaced

1 person taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital with burns

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Dozens of residents are temporarily displaced after a fire broke out at an apartment building in Miami Beach early Friday morning.

The fire was reported about 5 a.m. in a four-story building at 2814 Collins Ave.

Miami Beach firefighters arrived and quickly extinguished the flames.

According to fire officials, the incident began as an attempted burglary. Authorities said someone in a first-floor unit called 911 to report someone trying to break in.

Authorities said the fire was started right outside that person's front door.

Four units were damaged, and one person was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center with serious burns.

"It's believed that resident opened his front door, saw flames, retreated back into his unit and left his front door open," Miami Beach spokeswoman Julia Yarbough said. "They believe that may have contributed to flames going in."

The victim's condition has not been released at this time.

Officials said the  building has a manual fire alarm, but the fire started right in front it, preventing neighbors from pulling the handle.

City inspectors deemed the entire building as unsafe. The American Red Cross is helping the 16 displaced families, which consists of about 40 people.

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