HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – A woman died and two others, including a child, were severely injured early Wednesday morning in a fire at an apartment building along Hollywood’s beachside, authorities confirmed.
According to Hollywood Fire Rescue officials, the fire was reported around 3 a.m. on the first floor of a two-story apartment building, located at 415 S. Ocean Drive.
“Last night, I heard all this screaming and yelling,” neighbor Sam Palmer said. “It was, ‘help, help, help.’”
First responders said they arrived at the scene and found an injured man outside the building who was asking for help.
Firefighters then began extinguishing the fire while simultaneously bringing out a woman and a child from an apartment unit.
“I was worried because there’s a family that lives there and they have a little boy -- I think he’s autistic,” Palmer said. “It’s terrible because they don’t have any of their clothes -- nothing.”
Firefighters confirmed that all three victims were transported to Memorial Regional Hospital.
Hollywood police confirmed the woman later died from her injuries. They said the man and child were transferred to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Burn Center in Miami due to the severity of their burns.
“Our thoughts are with all those affected during this difficult time,” police said in a statement.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and authorities have not released the victims’ ages or identities.
