WINTHROP, Mass. — Three people were taken to the hospital after they were rescued from the fourth floor of a burning apartment building in Winthrop on Friday afternoon, officials said.
Crews responding to a report of a fire at a brick apartment building on Veterans Road were greeted by black smoke and flames shooting from a fourth-floor window, according to Winthrop Fire Captain Stephen Calandra.
Calandra said firefighters had to use ladders to rescue the residents who were trapped in the building.
“The fire went up and spread right across the hallway on the fourth floor,” Calandra said. “We didn’t know if the fire traveled along the roofline, so we had to go up and break open windows and walls.”
The four rescued residents were rushed to a local hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Over 110 residents were displaced by the fire, according to the Winthrop Fire Department.
Video from the scene showed thick smoke billowing out of the fourth-floor window as the flames raged.
Calandra noted that the apartments sustained heavy damage and that there were no sprinklers due to the age of the building. The damaged apartments were deemed inhabitable.
Several animals were also pulled from the building. Firefighters could be seen treating a cat.
Crews from Boston assisted Winthrop firefighters in the large response.
There was no word on the cause of the blaze.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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