Seattle police officers rushed into a burning Cherry Hill apartment building early Monday, helping evacuate residents after authorities said the building's fire
Seattle police officers rushed into a burning Cherry Hill apartment building early Monday, helping evacuate residents after authorities said the building's fire alarm failed to sound.
The rescue began shortly after 5 a.m. Aug. 31 when officers spotted flames coming from a second-story apartment window in the 1600 block of East Madison Street, according to the Seattle Police Department.
Police said two officers ran toward the building, including a student officer who was working the first shift of their career.
The officers broke the glass of the lobby door to get inside and ran upstairs until they reached the burning apartment. They kicked at the door until the disoriented 28-year-old resident opened it, police said.
Officers evacuated the man from the smoke-filled apartment, but not before asking whether he had any pets that also needed to be rescued.
As smoke inside the building grew thicker, additional officers from across the East Precinct arrived and entered the building to evacuate residents. Police said many people were still asleep because the fire alarm had not sounded.
Officers ran up flights of stairs, yelling for residents to evacuate and banging on doors to wake them.
Police said officers eventually evacuated the building themselves when conditions became too dangerous. The Seattle Fire Department then prepared to fight the flames.
Each of the officers involved in the rescue received a commendation and will be recognized by the department for their actions, according to police.
