Fire crews extinguish flames in East Dayton high-rise apartment

DAYTON, Ohio ( WDTN ) — Dayton fire crews battled an apartment fire Monday afternoon.

The fire broke out on the fourth floor of a high-rise apartment in the 900 block of Wilmington Avenue.

District Chief Nick Judge told 2 NEWS that upon arrival, crews saw people hanging out of windows on the fifth floor. He says if you find yourself in a similar situation to shelter in place and await rescue rather than to self-extricate, especially out of a window or on a balcony.

The building is considered an older structure and does not have a sprinkler system to contain the fire, which created a serious and immediate concern. Judge says they’ve battled several fires in this building over the years, though they tend to be contained to one apartment.

“These apartment buildings are very compartmentalized, meaning that smoke and fire doesn’t tend to travel from one apartment to the other very easily. So a lot of times, the best thing you can do is stay put in your apartment and come get you,” said Judge.

Two or three apartments were displaced due to the fire, and two individuals on the scene were treated for smoke inhalation.

Smoke damage was found in the apartments in the main hallway on the fourth floor. Additional damage was found in apartments directly above the apartment where the fire broke out.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com.