Firefighters rescue multiple people after fire in Springfield apartment building

SPRINGFIELD — UPDATE:

A family who escaped from the Olympic Street condominium fire in Springfield is thankful for the firefighters, who rescued them by ladder and the family dog, who alerted them to the fire in a neighboring condo.

“They saved my son’s life,” Saddie Acles told News Center 7′s Jenna Lawson of her 15-month-old son, Lawson.

After their dog woke them up because of the smoke in the condo, Acles, her husband and her son were helped down ladders by firefighters to safety.

Others in neighboring condos were helped down stairs by fire crews.

Acle’s dog jumped from the second story and broke its leg, although it is expected to be fine.

Fire officials have not determined a source of where the fire started, but have identified that it started in a middle condo in the back of the building and then spread out into a 'V' shape.

Springfield Fire Rescue Division Assistant Chief Matt Smith said each of the six condos in the unit sustained damage – whether by fire, smoke or water.

The fire division has taken about 50 fire calls so far this year, but this fire sticks out. He does not believe the building as a whole is repairable.

“This is probably in the top three,” Smith said. “This is pretty significant.”

The fire department says over 10 people were replaced as a result of the fire. The Red Cross was on scene to help residents.

INITIAL REPORT:

Multiple occupants of a Springfield apartment building were rescued by firefighters after a fire broke out early Tuesday morning.

The fire was reported in the 2000 block of Olympic Street around 2 a.m. Tuesday.

>> PHOTOS: Apartments destroyed by fire on Olympic Street in Springfield

Additional fire crews were requested to the scene after firefighters found multiple people were trying to get out of the building through their windows, emergency scanner traffic indicated.

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Multiple people were rescued from the building, however dispatchers said there were no initial transports to area hospitals after the incident.

The structure is no longer habitable and the American Red Cross was called to assist those in need of temporary housing, dispatchers said.

Additional details were not available.

Cox Media Group