Five people have been taken to the hospital suffering from smoke inhalation following an apartment fire that Windsor Fire and Rescue have attributed to unattended cooking.
Crews were called around 1:30pm Wednesday to the three-storey building on Ellis and Ouellette Ave.
Tenant Carlo Patterson lives on the second floor, next to the unit on fire.
"I guess my neighbours were cooking fries on the stove and it started a fire and my bedroom was on fire and I'm waiting to get back in to see how bad my bedroom is," says Patterson.
Damage is extensive to one unit and smoke throughout. Windsor Fire says the building sustained $250,000 damage.
One of five people taken to the hospital from the apartment building fire. November 8, 2017 (Photo by AM800's Teresinha Medeiros)
District Chief Bruno Bertucci says firefighters had to help five people out of the building.
"We had to do a few rescues," he says. "Five people had to be taken out, some out from the front in the aerial bucket and some were escorted down."
He says due to the smoke, some tenants were panicking which made rescue efforts more difficult.
"You are trying to have them get down a ladder and it is pretty hard. They are in a panic state and it is pretty traumatic for them and we try to reassure them."
The smoke alarm was working in the building.
Avoid the area of Ellis between Ouellette and Dufferin. @WindsorFire1 on scene of an apt fire. Smoke alarm can be heard. @AM800News #cklw pic.twitter.com/uDd6q3jD8o
— Teresinha Medeiros (@tmedeiros800) November 8, 2017