SUNNY ISLES BEACH, Fla. – Nine people were injured during a fire at a high-rise building Thursday in Sunny Isles Beach.
Fire rescue personnel treated five people outside of the building at 301 174th St. and rushed four to the hospital, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. Two of the victims are in critical condition.
Lt. Felipe Lay said the fire started in an apartment on the 17th floor.
A witness, who did not want to be identified, said he saw paramedics treat the couple who live in the apartment.
"I saw paramedics working on one lady," he said. "She didn't look too good."
Dora Volfson told Local 10 News she lives next door to the unit where the fire started.
"I just smelled the smell. I opened the door and it was so dark, you cannot see anything," Volfson said. "The firemen took me and rushed me to the stairs."
Benita Crow said about 10 firefighters helped her down the stairs.
Firefighters evacuated the entire floor.
Lay said the cause of the fire remained under investigation.
"This fire was a very serious fire," Lay said. "The one apartment was fully engulfed."