Person Leaps From Burning Apartment Building In Alameda: Fire Officials

ALAMEDA, CA — Multiple people were hospitalized following a blaze in Alameda, including a person who jumped from the third floor of an apartment building to escape the flames, authorities said.

About 35 firefighters responded around 4:45 a.m. to reports of multiple people trapped inside a burning building in the 400 block of Central Avenue, authorities said.

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Heavy flames from the first floor of an apartment met fire crews as they arrived, according to the Alameda Fire Department.

The flames were spreading to other units, trapping people on upper floors inside, authorities said.

Firefighters rescued three people from the third floor as other crewmembers attacked the blaze, authorities said.

A fourth trapped person jumped from the third floor of the building to escape and was injured in the process, authorities said.

The extent of their injuries was not clear, but authorities said they took two people to local hospitals for treatment.

It took crews less than 20 minutes to get the fire under control, authorities said.

"The involved building was located deep within the property with access challenges," fire officials said. "Due to pre-planning by initial crews, personnel were able to quickly identify the best access for fire attack and search crews."

Six apartment units were damaged in the blaze, impacting at least 12 residents, authorities said. The Red Cross responded to help those impacted, authorities said.