TEMPE, AZ — Emergency crews were called to battle an apartment fire Wednesday, leaving several officers among six people who suffered smoke inhalation.
Just after 2 p.m., the Tempe Fire Department received reports of a fire at an apartment complex near Mill and Southern avenues.
When firefighters arrived, they found flames coming from a second-floor apartment.
The fire quickly spread to two adjacent apartments, officials said.
"It looked like a dust storm. That's all I could see. I saw stuff blowing everywhere when I realized it was ash from the fire,” said Trisha Barrett.
Barrett tells ABC15 she lives next to the building where several units burned. Many, like Barrett, were evacuated.
"When I came out, all I saw were flames and the firefighter had to grab my arms to pull me,” added Barrett.
Due to additional information provided by residents about lithium-ion batteries being in the initial apartment on fire, crews were forced out to fight the fire from an outside position and call for backup, according to Tempe Fire.
A total of six people, including five police officers, were treated for smoke inhalation. Tempe Fire had originally said some were hospitalized for their injuries, though Tempe police later confirmed they were treated on scene and released.
An ABC15 viewer shared cellphone video showing another angle of the fire and smoke ripping through Building 'D'. The video also showed Jacob Greenberg near the bottom of the screen watching the fire.
"I heard some screaming and some glass breaking like a guy taking a fire extinguisher out,” said Greenberg.
Greenberg says he was just returning to his apartment after taking out the trash.
"The fire started coming out of the windows and all that. I was on the phone with the fire department. They were asking me if animals were in there,” said Greenberg.
Two dogs had to be rescued from the apartments that were impacted.
"I have never seen anything like this. So, yeah, it was crazy. Just seeing all of the police and firefighters come in and all that,” added Greenberg.
Fire investigators are still working to figure out the cause, but say welding equipment may have played a role in sparking the flames.
No other injuries were reported.
Firefighters from Tempe, Phoenix, Guadalupe, and Gilbert were all called to the scene to assist.
The exact cause of the fire hasn't been determined.
