MIAMI – Two people were transported to the hospital as firefighters worked to put out a high-rise fire at an assisted living facility in Miami.
The Miami Fire Department said the fire happened Saturday afternoon on the sixth floor of the facility, located at 800 NW 13th Avenue.
One resident and one police officer were transported for smoke inhalation, according to Miami Fire Rescue.
Officials say multiple residents were evacuated as crews assessed the damage.
Because the elevators weren't working, many of the residents were unable to return to their apartment. Many of them were in wheelchairs and say there is no way they could climb several flights of stairs. Furthermore, because of the water damage, no one was allowed onto the fourth or fifth floor.
As of Sunday afternoon, residents were let back into their homes. Elevators were fixed and the flooding problem was also solved.
Residents say a woman had some candles in her bedroom when the mattress caught fire. Sprinklers turned on and flooded much of the building.
The 90-year-old woman who lives in the unit where the fire started was taken to JMH. A Miami police officer, who arrived before firefighters, was also taken to the hospital. That officer tried to get people out of the building.
A total of 55 firefighters responded to the fire at the 13-story building.