TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – After a Tallahassee apartment complex burst into flames Wednesday night, injuring 8 and displacing over 70 people, residents are picking up the pieces and processing the tragedy.
Several residents were forced to run for their lives as the intense fire consumed the structure in a matter of minutes.
Many residents, including a Florida State University student who lived on the third floor of the complex, rushed through the flames to safety.
WCTV agreed to withhold his identity upon his request.
He said he and his roommates did not hear fire alarms, but instead heard screams from other units.
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Three of his roommates dashed out of their apartment to escape the blaze. The first roommate escaped unharmed, but the other two were injured and transferred for advanced care in Gainesville.
The resident describes seeing one of his roommates on fire, corralling him and stifling the blaze.
“He just was on fire, and he wasn’t trying to put it out. He was not dropping. He was just running everywhere. I tried to stop him, but I couldn’t hold him because everything was burning on him,” he said.
Many residents are now left without all of their possessions after the fire consumed the building. (wctv viewer)
Residents at the complex thanked the fire department, saying they were on scene quickly. But there was little the firefighters could do due to the intensity of the fire.
Many people are now left without all of their possessions, including important documents for international students.
The state fire marshal has taken over the investigation into the blaze, but a cause has not been released.
FSU also provided a link to a Student Emergency Fund for those looking to support the students who were displaced.
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