Person rescued from burning balcony of downtown Edmonton apartment building

One person was rescued from a burning building in Edmonton on Thursday.

Firefighters were called to an apartment building at Jasper Avenue and 110 Street at 1:51 p.m.

A second alarm was called in at 1:56 p.m.

Flames could be seen shooting out of a suite in the front of the building and smoke billowed into the sky.

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A man on a balcony could be heard screaming for help before being rescued by a ladder truck.

"The equipment was set up quick, they were able to get up there, they got water on the person. They were able to, through all the training and the hard work, able to make a successful rescue," said Edmonton Fire Rescue Services District Chief Marty McNamara.

Alberta Health Services says a man in his 20s was taken to hospital.

It took eight trucks and 32 firefighters to put out the fire.

"They were able to bring a hose up the outside of the building and they got the hose through the window and they were able to attack the fire quick," McNamara said.

In addition to the man on the balcony, firefighters also rescued a few cats from the building.

Two people with mobility issues also received help leaving the building.

Four suites were impacted by the fire.

Residents in other suites will not be able to return home Thursday because of air quality concerns, but were being let in floor-by-floor after the fire to retrieve essential belongings. According to EFRS, 42 people were displaced, including six children, who were being accomodated at the Matrix Hotel.

The cause of the fire is still undetermined.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Jeremy Thompson