AURORA, Colo. — Five people are hurt and dozens are without homes after a two-alarm blaze at an apartment complex in Aurora Saturday evening.
Multiple witnesses reported seeing children and adults jumping from third floor windows to escape the flames.
"Either chance breaking a bone or two or losing your life, it’s an option you got to gamble with," said Shaleem Wilson, who tossed his dog Apollo to safety and then climbed out the window himself to escape the fire.
Aurora Fire Rescue tweeted at 5:45 p.m. that they were working a structure fire at a large multi-family residential complex on East Exposition Avenue, called the Park Place at Expo Apartments. That's located just east of Havana Street and south of East Alameda Avenue.
The fire department said crews contained the fire to a few apartments and the shared hallways.
Five people were hurt. Aurora Fire said one person was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, two went to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and two others were treated and released at the scene.
"I was running for my life because the smoke was too much, so I can't even breathe," said Soki Pande. He said he was too scared to jump out of the window — he only had time to grab his phone before running through the smoke-filled hallway.
"I don't even have anything. All my stuff, everything is inside," he said.
The Red Cross opened a shelter at Village East Elementary School, 1433 S. Oakland Street, Aurora, CO and reported it is helping approximately 100 people from 48 different units. The fire department estimated about 60 units were affected.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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