DeKalb County

Residents jumped from windows to escape early morning fire in DeKalb apartment

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A resident of a DeKalb County apartment complex said she had to jump out of a window with her three kids to escape a large fire that injured three people early Monday morning.

Channel 2′s Kristen Holloway spoke to Tquanecea Brown, who said she had seconds to get her three children to safety when she saw her apartment building on fire.

“Around 12 I woke up to massive yelling and a big boom,” Brown said. “I just happened to look out the window and see flames.

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After firefighters put out the flames they found a dog dead inside one of the apartments. Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt in the fire, which destroyed the top floor units.

“I ran to the front door, opened the door, unlocked the door, couldn’t go down the steps so I ran to my kids’ room and we jumped out of the window,” Brown said. “Luckily my neighbors were downstairs to catch my children.”

The fire happened at the Orchard Walk Apartments on Flat Shoals Parkway in DeKalb County. Firefighters battled the flames that tore through the top part of the building.

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“It very scary, very dramatic and traumatic,” Brown said.

The battalion chief told Holloway the fire destroyed four of the eight units, and three residents were injured from also having to jump out of a window.

“My neighbors her daughters were injured, there are cuts and bruises on the legs. They had to get stitches she told me,” Brown said.

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A firefighter also had some cut and bruises but is expected to be okay.

Residents told Holloway a candle might be the cause of the fire, but fire investigators are still working to determine if that’s the case.