VANDALIA — Over a dozen people have been displaced after an apartment fire in Vandalia early Sunday morning.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 11:00, the fire occurred in the 900 block of Stewville Drive just after midnight.
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When Vandalia Division of Fire crews arrived on scene, they saw heavy fire coming from a second-story window.
>>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 2 people hurt, 13 displaced after apartment fire in Vandalia
Mark Peeples said he was watching TV when he heard his neighbor screaming for help.
Once he got outside, he saw the fire.
Peeples quickly realized the only way to save his neighbor was to have her jump out of the window.
“She was too scared to jump out, kind of frozen in a bit, but I talked her out of there,” Peeples said.
Peeples and several other neighbors caught her.
As previously reported, the Vandalia Division of Fire confirmed that one female jumped from the second-story window as police and bystanders were trying to rescue her.
After the female was on the ground, Peeples said he tried to do more.
“I ran in there. Pretty much kicked in every door to try to get everybody out of there, too,” he said.
Vandalia Fire Chief Chad Follick said his crews rescued someone trapped inside when they arrived.
“There was a second victim trapped in the lower level. Crews made their initial entry into the lower level. Rescued a child from the first floor,” Follick said.
One person was hospitalized with serious injuries, and another was treated by medics on scene.
The American Red Cross is helping 13 people, including six children, who were displaced.
Investigators said it will be some time before they know what caused this fire.
News Center 7 will continue to update this story.
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