One man was taken to hospital after he was rescued from a fifth-floor balcony after a fire broke out at an apartment building on Jasper Avenue near 110th Street Thursday afternoon.
A spokesperson with Edmonton Fire Rescue Services said the call came in at 1:51 p.m. and a second alarm was called five minutes later.
Matthew Leprieur, a Hardwood Plaza tenant, said he heard the man screaming.
“He was screaming out to the firefighters saying, ‘help me.’ At one point before the firefighters got to his level he put one leg over the railing but then he got back in until the firefighters got to him.”
District chief Marty McNamara with EFRS said the fire was coming from a fifth-floor balcony and crews quickly deployed a ladder truck to help the man.
Firefighters cooled the man off with water as they got him into the ladder truck and down to the ground, McNamara said.
“They did a rescue off the ladder truck with that person. They brought him to safety then they began their attack. Then they were doing a primary and secondary searches,” McNamara said.
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The frightening scene was captured on video, which shows the man being rescued as flames and black smoke poured out of the unit.
McNamara said the man in his 20s was taken to hospital and it’s not known how severe his injuries are.
Alberta Health Services said EMS transported an adult to hospital in stable, non-life-threatening condition.
Three other patients were assessed by EMS at the scene but refused transport to hospital, AHS said.
Fire crews attacked the blaze from the outside and the inside of the building and were able to douse it quite quickly, according to McNamara.
The fire was contained to one suite, though McNamara said there is smoke damage to neighbouring suites.
In total, 32 firefighters from eight rigs were called out.
Nolan Bates, another Hardwood Plaza tenant, said the fire response was excellent.
“I think it was very prompt and how they got the gentleman off the balcony was really excellent. I’m mainly glad no further First Aid measures needed to be taken.”
The City of Edmonton said 42 people were displaced as a result of the fire — 36 adults and six children. They have been put up in a hotel.
The cause of the fire is not known. A fire investigator was on scene Thursday afternoon.