An early morning blaze atop a Miami apartment building prompted a swift evacuation of its dwellers, city fire officials confirmed. The fire began before dawn, charring the roof of the building located at 5501 NW Seventh St., reported just before 2:30 a.m., according to the City of Miami Department of Fire-Rescue.
Upon arrival, firefighters were met with thick smoke and conspicuous flames prompting them to launch an aggressive fire attack, extending hose lines, making entry into the building as the fire continued unabated, their efforts aimed at quelling the enthusiastic flames, as explained by Lt. Pete Sanchez. Concurrently, other crews plunged into the building to ensure everyone was evacuated to safety, "Firefighter(s) extended hose lines and made entry into the structure for an aggressive fire attack," Sanchez told Local 10 News. "Roof operations were initiated by raising ladder devices to gain access and extinguish the fire. Simultaneously, other crews assisted with evacuating residents and searching for any occupants that may have remained in their units."
Their efforts paid off, as the fire was announced under control in a matter of 20 minutes and all occupants were confirmed safe. The incident seemed less devastating than initially presumed, as Sanchez confirmed the blaze was limited to roofing material which had been left on the roof overnight. Thankfully, structural compromise to the building or its units was non-existent.
Once the scene was secure and cleanness, residents were permitted to return to their homes, a grateful departure from what could have been a much direr outcome. "Within twenty minutes the fire was under control and all residents were safely evacuated and accounted for," the City of Miami Department of Fire-Rescue described the effectiveness of the operations in a report by NBC Miami. Remarkably, amidst the urgency and the potential hazard, not a single injury was reported in the incident.
