MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis Fire crews are working to figure out what sparked an early morning fire that forced hundreds of people to leave their homes in the middle of the night.
It happened at a complex off Dunlap near Poplar, right across the street from Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital.
Thick gray smoke poured out of the Blair Tower Apartments early Friday morning.
“The smoke wasn’t bad on the fifth floor. When we got to the fourth-floor exit and the stairways it started to get more pungent,” said resident Kevin Neal.
A loud noise startled Neal out of his sleep.
It confused him because he said it didn’t sound like a typical fire alarm.
“It just didn`t, but it was extremely loud, which let you know something was wrong,” said Neal.
Thankfully, some of Neal’s neighbors ran down the hall screaming and knocking on doors, alerting everyone it was time to get out the building.
The fire started inside an apartment on the fourth floor.
The smoke quickly spread.
Firefighters smashed a window to get control of the moving flames.
“I had to calm a girl down. She tried to go back upstairs. I had to tell her ‘no, you have to hold your breath and keep doing down,'” said one resident.
Outside, about 200 people stood in whatever clothes they could quickly grab and waited for firefighters to let people know what was going on, and when it would be safe to return to their homes.
“I’m calling all my friends that I know in the building,” said Vaibhav Ghandi.
Fortunately, everyone got out, but firefighters said a teenager was treated for smoke inhalation.
She is expected to be okay.
Police blocked off and redirected traffic around the complex.
But crews told WREG, that didn’t pose a threat for people trying to get to the hospital.