2 people rushed to hospital after house fire breaks out in Wilton Manors, officials say
Two people were taken to the hospital following a raging house fire in Wilton Manors on Wednesday afternoon, authorities confirmed.
Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue said just before 1:30 p.m. they received a call about the fire at 509 NW 21 Street.
"I tried to get closer and I just heard, like, a lot of glass breaking," said Miguel Flores, who witnessed the fire.
When firefighters arrived, flames were shooting through the roof as smoke billowed out of the home.
Janet Slayter witnessed the fire and said she knows the couple who live inside the home.
"He had a stroke and he could hardly move," said Slater. "And he's a big guy and she's about my age and she couldn't move him on her own, and he was in that building and then it was all on fire."
Firefighters pulled two people out of the house while it was actively burning, according to Frank Guzman with Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue.
Guzman said items inside the house made it unsafe for crews to be inside.
"About 30 minutes into the firefight, after the rescues had been done, we determined the structure of the house was not safe for us to be inside,' said Guzman. "So the chief on scene ordered all the units to pull out and ordered them to be in a defensive attack, where we put water on the fire from the outside."
Two people were rushed to Broward Health Medical Center, according to fire rescue. From there, one of the victims was transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital Burn Unit.
The names and conditions of the injured have not been released.
