CRAFTON HEIGHTS (KDKA) – Residents in a Crafton Heights apartment building were forced to crawl on their hands and knees through thick smoke to escape an early Friday morning fire.

According to officials at the scene, the fire broke out in the 900-block of Woodlow Street around 2 a.m.

Residents on the second floor were seen waving towels out the windows because they were afraid they could not get out of the building.

However, when firefighters arrived, they found most of the residents had made it out safely.

There are 24 apartments inside the building that are connected by a long hallway, which was filled with smoke while they tried to escape.

“The hallways from one end to the other were filled with black smoke so some of the residents had to go through a good bit of smoke to get out,” Pittsburgh Fire Department Deputy Chief Dan Hennessy said.

Firefighters knocked the fire down quickly and went door to door to check for anyone unable to make it out.

“We did a complete search, broke into all the apartments if the doors weren’t open, searched each unit. Happy ending no one was left in the building,” Hennessy said.

One woman was treated for breathing issue, but is expected to be okay.

Neighbors working together are being credited with everyone getting out of the building safely.

“It was real thick and as soon as the door came open you couldn’t see anything else. It filled up the whole building real fast. Real intense and scary,” Sherri Harris said. “Banged on every door, screamed as loud as you could – your neighbor’s name.”

The cause of the fire is currently unknown.

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