Couple jumped from a burning two-story apartment building in Charlotte, reports say
Two people reportedly jumped from a two-story apartment building to escape a fire in south Charlotte on Tuesday.
Firefighters responded to the 7800 block of Kings Ridge drive, according to a tweet posted by the Charlotte Fire Department at 1:18 p.m. That’s off East Arrowood Road, between South Boulevard and Old Pineville Road. They found smoke and fire coming from the second floor, the tweet said.
Several Medic units responded to what appeared “to be a large fire,” Mecklenburg EMS said on Twitter.
Paramedics treated one person for minor injuries, but that person did not want to be taken to a hospital, Mecklenburg EMS said in a tweet. WCNC reported that the two people who jumped were treated for minor injuries, and a dog was saved.
A couple who identified themselves to WSOC as Rakeem and Zay said they jumped from their second-floor apartment after they saw smoke and fire on the balcony.
“I had to jump over the balcony and she couldn’t jump over, so she went back and jumped out the window and I just tried to catch her,” Rakeem told a WSOC reporter.
Zay also jumped, she said.
Rakeem told WSOC he “popped my leg pretty bad” trying to catch Zay.
The fire was controlled in 30 minutes, and is now under investigation, the fire department said in another tweet.
Investigators determined an electrical failure in a panel started the fire, and they ruled it accidental. The fire affected four apartments and caused about $150,000 in damages, according to a tweet from Charlotte Fire Department.
This story was originally published December 14, 2021 at 3:34 PM.
