EDMONTON -- The residents of a northeast apartment building are said to be OK after a fire tore through their building Friday morning.
A second alarm was called almost immediately after the first at 5:11 a.m. to bring more crews to Eastwood Manor at 12014 82 St., according to officials on scene.
Residents believe the fire started at the ground floor and spread from there to the rest of the building.
Firefighters needed to rescue some third-floor residents who hadn't been woken up by the alarm.
A second floor resident, Grant Schmaltz, told CTV News Edmonton: "Within not even five minutes, it was on all three floors."
RESIDENT REUNITED WITH CAT
When CTV News Edmonton arrived on scene, the back of the three-storey building was fully involved and had already been evacuated.
Dazed residents stood outside watching as firefighters tackled the wall of fire.
"I should've said something becuase I smelled smoke but I looked outside and I literally thought it was another building," the woman who called 911 recounted. Upon seeing nothing, Cynthia Barress said she went back to bed. "I woke up and the smell was stronger and I looked out my window and all I saw was flames."
Barress said, "It wasn't inside the building. It was still on the side of it, so I just called 911 and grabbed my two cats that I could and ran out the door."
Tearfully, she told CTV News Edmonton she had to leave a third cat, Echo, inside.
"I ran back inside as best I could and opened my door so hopefully she could run out. But I couldn't get inside my door. I had to run back out."
As Barress left the building, she pounded on her neighbours' doors and screamed "fire."
Thankfully, as she was talking to CTV News Edmonton, a firefighter walked into the crowd asking, "Is anyone missing a cat?"
Echo had made it out.
Edmonton Fire Rescue Services said two people were assessed by EMS on site for smoke inhalation, but no one hother injuries were reported.
As of 6 a.m., firefighters were tackling hot spots but the fire had been declared under control.
The emergency support response team was also on scene to help evacuees as well as an ETS bus for temporary shelter.
