Residents Use Bed Sheets To Escape San Rafael Apartment Fire

SAN RAFAEL, CA – Four people trapped by fire in an apartment in San Rafael Wednesday morning used bed sheets to escape out of a window without serious injury, fire officials said.

The two-alarm fire was reported at 10:37 a.m. at 120 Larkspur St., according to the San Rafael Fire Department. The residents were unable to get out of the front door of their upstairs unit due to flames, so they tied together bed sheets to climb out of a rear window about 10 feet down to the ground, San Rafael Fire Chief Christopher Gray said.

"This could have been a real tragedy," Gray said.

One person suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital, Gray said. No other injuries were reported.

"We're very pleased about that," he said.

The fire was knocked down shortly after 11 a.m. but crews remained at the scene early Wednesday afternoon.

Two second-floor units were heavily damaged in the fire, officials said, while two ground-floor units were damaged by water and smoke. The Red Cross assisted displaced residents.

The cause of the blaze remained under investigation but it appears to have started in the front deck area of one of the units, according to Gray.

By Bay City News Service; Kristina Houck/Patch contributed to this report.

Images via San Rafael Fire Department