MIAMI – Several South Florida families have been forced out of their homes right before Thanksgiving after a fire broke out in a Little Havana apartment building.
The good news is that firefighters were able keep that fire contained to one unit at the building near the intersection of Flagler Street and 21st Avenue.
Unfortunately, 10 people — five adults and five children — were been displaced right before the holiday.
“I started to hear people screaming outside. Something wasn’t normal,” said Rawat Keneh, who was visiting friends when the fire ignited. “The apartment was on fire, right across from us.”
He said all he could see was smoke.
“It was a nightmare, actually,” Keneh said.
Firefighters said the call came in around 10 p.m. Tuesday night.
“We were able to quickly knock that fire down, but the concern we had was the amount of smoke that migrated throughout the entire building,” said Miami Fire Rescue Capt. Ignatius Carroll.
Authorities said heavy smoke was coming out of the second floor of the two-story apartment building. How the fire started remains under investigation, but firefighters said it appears to have started in the kitchen of one of those units.
“The Thanksgiving week, two families are having to be displaced, having to celebrate this holiday season somewhere else,” said Carroll.
The American Red Cross is assisting those displaced residents.
Most of the approximately 40 people who live in the building were able to return to their units.
Firefighters said one woman was treated for smoke inhalation, but did not have to be taken to the hospital.