Residents Jump From Windows To Escape Hollywood Fire

HOLLYWOOD (CBSMiami) – The Red Cross is helping out several Hollywood families who were burned out of their homes following a pre-dawn fire that broke out on the first floor of their 3-story apartment complex.

The fire happened at the Cambridge Square apartment complex, 6711 Johnson St. shortly before 5 a.m.

"We start running, everybody screaming and the panic was already there," said Massiel Guitierrez who escaped the burning building. "I saw people jump from the windows."

The fire started inside Theresa Aine's ground floor unit.

In no time, the fire reached the third floor.

Theresa burned her hand while bringing her three young children to safety.

"I got scared," said one of the children.

When neighbor Shirley Mitchell discovered the building was on fire, she jumped into action and began knocking on neighbors doors to help them escape the burning building.

"If she would have never went banging and screaming like crazy, nobody would have known and god for forbid something worse," explained a grateful Shirley Ramos.

By the time Shirley alerted the entire floor, the smoke was too thick for her to escape through the stairway.

"I was afraid to go down into the smoke so I threw myself over the ledge," said Mitchell. "They said 'don't jump' but I didn't have a choice."

She plunged off the second floor of the burning building and landed in the bushes. She received some cuts and bruises.

Meanwhile, Theresa Aine's unit was destroyed and several other units were damaged.

Nobody was seriously hurt in the fire which remains under investigation.