Fire crews put out a fire in an apartment complex in McKeesport on Sunday.

According to EMS, the call came in just before 11:28 a.m. at the Midtown Plaza Apartment building on Sinclair Street. 

"There were people hanging out of the building trying to get rescued," resident Joell Welsh said. Welsh lives on the second floor.

"As soon as I got here, seen the smoke everywhere, everyone was outside, and they were still rescuing people. It was very chaotic, it was very scary."

Arriving units began evacuating upper floors while searching for the fire to extinguish it. The fire originated in a trash chute.

Smoke was present on floors five through 11, according to the City of McKeesport Bureau of Fire. One firefighter was transported for a hand injury, the department said, while six people were treated after inhaling smoke.

Former firefighter Michael Ferson first opened his apartment door to find a slight haze in the hallway and a laundry room full of smoke.

"Initially, it was just a haze, no big deal, (I) shut my door, put down a wet towel, and after five to seven minutes, smoke got a little thicker, and I used to be a firefighter, so [it was] time to evacuate, and the hallway was full of smoke," Ferson added.

He made it out on his own, thanks to how close he was to an exit, but others needed help. Fire officials say they rescued multiple tenants trapped in smoke-filled hallways.

Welsh worries about her neighbors getting sick.

"There's already problems in the building. There's roaches, there's dead bugs, there's rats, there's mold; we've complained, we've called the health department, we've called the mayor, but no one comes to help us," Welsh said.

She's hopeful someone, anyone, can help them.

"I know we're low-income, but we're still human, so it's not fair that we have to live like this. I'm sick myself, so I don't want to live with mold. I have cancer. It's just not fair. It's sad."

The fire was deemed under control as of 12:49 p.m. The Allegheny County Fire Marshal is now investigating the cause of the fire.