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Brackenridge Apartment Fire Sends 3 To Hospital, Prompts Evacuations

BRACKENRIDGE (KDKA) -- A fire sent three people to the hospital and forced residents out of a senior-living high rise in Brackenridge early Friday morning.

The fire broke out on the third floor of the seven-story Brackenridge Hall Apartments on First Avenue around 4:30 a.m.

Officials say it started on a mattress.

"I woke up, I heard the fire alarm going off and I scrambled for the door and I opened up the door and I smelled smoke on our floor, and I went right for apartment 304 because I figured that's where it was coming from," said resident Stevie Kowles. "I threw my body up against the door as hard as I could a couple of times, busted the door open and I was hit with smoke so bad I couldn't see anything."

Kowles says she was pushed back by the smoke, and grew even more concerned when she heard the tenant inside yelling.

"All we could hear him say was 'help me, help me,' and I couldn't even see him," she said. "So all I could do was run and try to find somebody to get him."

Two officers from Brackenridge and Tarentum were quick to get there and ran into the apartment and got him out. He suffered burns and was taken to UPMC Mercy Hospital for treatment.

There's no word on his condition.

Officials say two other people were taken to Allegheny Valley Hospital for smoke inhalation.

Not only did the officers help the man in the apartment where the fire started, but they continued to evacuate the rest of the tenants, including a senior citizen in a wheelchair on a top floor.

"Wheelchairs are tough trying to get them down the steps. The police did a good job," said Chief Rick Jones, of the Brackenridge Fire Department. "The police pretty much had the building empty by the time we got here."

The fire was contained to the one third-floor apartment. Fire officials say it was a smoking-related fire.

Tenants kept warm in a first-floor community room while damage was surveyed.

Allegheny Housing Authority is making repairs to seven apartments; one with fire damage, six others with water damage.

KDKA's Heather Abraham was told that all apartments are livable and tenants were able to return.

The Allegheny County Fire Marshal was also called to the scene to investigate.

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