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(Memphis 7/23/2010) A fire in a three story apartment building in the Medical District forced at least a dozen tenants from their homes early Friday morning.
One person was also transported to the hospital with minor burns.
The fire broke out just before 3 AM in a third floor apartment at the Dunlap Apartments in the 1200 block of Madison.
Fire investigators spent hours there trying to find the cause as well as the people living in the apartment where the fire started.
Most tenants were sound asleep when their building caught on fire and say it's a miracle they got out when they did.
A security guard at the Southern College of Optometry just across the street was making his final rounds when he saw fire coming out of a window.
He also saw the family from the burning apartment leave the scene.
Terry Hicks told another security guard to call the fire department and then began throwing rocks at windows on the third floor and began yelling for residents to get out.
One tenant told us the smell of smoke woke him up and says firefighters helped him and his roommates get out of the building.
"There was not a fire alarm or any kind of smoke detector set up, but, you know. The firemen got us out. We really didn't know how to get out. We had fire at one door and thick smoke at the other. So we are real grateful," said David Egros.
Fire investigators haven't said yet if the building had working smoke detectors, but say if it didn't that would be in violation of city code.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
- Fire fighters battle an early morning fire in a three story apartment building in the Medical District
- At least a dozen people had to be evacuated from the building
- Tenants say the building does not have smoke detectors
email:melissa.moon@wreg.com
http://www.twitter.com/melissamoon3
(Memphis 7/23/2010) A fire in a three story apartment building in the Medical District forced at least a dozen tenants from their homes early Friday morning.
One person was also transported to the hospital with minor burns.
The fire broke out just before 3 AM in a third floor apartment at the Dunlap Apartments in the 1200 block of Madison.
Fire investigators spent hours there trying to find the cause as well as the people living in the apartment where the fire started.
Most tenants were sound asleep when their building caught on fire and say it's a miracle they got out when they did.
A security guard at the Southern College of Optometry just across the street was making his final rounds when he saw fire coming out of a window.
He also saw the family from the burning apartment leave the scene.
Terry Hicks told another security guard to call the fire department and then began throwing rocks at windows on the third floor and began yelling for residents to get out.
One tenant told us the smell of smoke woke him up and says firefighters helped him and his roommates get out of the building.
"There was not a fire alarm or any kind of smoke detector set up, but, you know. The firemen got us out. We really didn't know how to get out. We had fire at one door and thick smoke at the other. So we are real grateful," said David Egros.
Fire investigators haven't said yet if the building had working smoke detectors, but say if it didn't that would be in violation of city code.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
