SMYRNA, Ga. — Two people were injured - one in a harrowing jump to safety from a second-story balcony - in an apartment fire in Smyrna early Friday morning.
The Smyrna Fire Department said that it was "very fortunate" both people did not seem to be seriously injured.
The person who jumped had only "light injuries," Duty Battalion Chief Kenneth Durden said. The other individual suffered what were described as superficial burns escaping from their apartment.
The incident occurred at The Alcove apartments on Woodlands Drive. Durden said the fire affected as many as 10 units.
The apartment where the fire started, he said, appeared to be the only one that would be considered a total loss. The other displaced residents were in contact with the American Red Cross about finding temporary lodging if they needed it, he said.
A Twitter user who described herself as an Alcove resident, Cierra Ollis, captured video of the fire when it was active:
"It always tends to look a little worse when we get here, with a fire that's not controlled at all, it always looks worse than what it is," Durden said. "The biggest thing for us was to locate anybody that possibly might have been inside. We had a bunch of people outside that were letting us know we were clear of any victims."
He described the fire emanating from a breezeway leading to the apartments, which is why one person decided to jump to the ground below rather than trying to get out through the breezeway.
He said firefighters "got control over it pretty quick" once they arrived.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated.
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