Resident Jumps Out Window To Escape Suspicious Fire In Miami Gardens
Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter
MIAMI GARDENS (CBSMiami) -- Fire at a Miami Gardens townhouse has left six people without a home and forced a resident to jump from a second-floor window to avoid the flames.
It took place Saturday morning at 4614 N.W. 185th Terrace and officials said they are investigating a possible arson connection.
Many residents were first alerted to the fire by a woman's cries for help.
"The lady was screaming, saying 'Somebody help her, somebody help her, she's in the house!'" said Deloris, who lives just a few doors down from the unit that caught fire. "Because if we wouldn't have heard that, we would have been sitting in the house not knowing what was going on."
"The lady was sitting on the window shouting for help and I could see the flames just coming through different parts of the building," said Dane Brown, who ran out of his home after hearing a crackling sound and smelling an unusual odor.
Several others rushed to assist her.
"Neighbors ran down to try to go in the house," Deloris continued. "As one was going in, she jumped out the window."
Two people were treated for minor injuries and officials said that not only were three units destroyed, the whole building could potentially be deemed unsafe and knocked down.
"We did have a partial collapse," said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Ray Jadallah. "The structure actually sustained some serious damage and I wouldn't be surprised over the next couple of weeks that the building gets leveled."
One person was detained by Miami Gardens Police for further questioning.
