ORLANDO, Fla. – Kathy Beed, 89, was grateful she was able to walk out of her apartment after her air conditioner burned out on the 14th floor of the Hillcrest Hampton Senior Apartment Complex.
Beed said her whole apartment filled up with smoke just after midnight.
“Smoke! I couldn’t see my hands. That’s why my throat is so sore, and I went out to look for the fire thing, the switch and other people saw it and called,” Beed said.
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Multiple Orlando Fire crews rushed to the scene. They said approximately five floors were evacuated after fire alarms set off sprinklers, which caused heavy water damage to the 14th floor. About 30 residents were forced out of their homes, crews said.
Restoration crews spent hours cleaning up.
“I have a pantry room, that’s quite large, and the water was still standing in that. The rest of the apartment the water was absorbed in the carpet,” Dee Sweet said.
Sweet lives on the 14th floor as well but decided not to evacuate overnight.
“It could’ve been worse much worse. It’s just a bad inconvenience at this point,” Sweet said.
The Orlando Fire Department said no one was injured.
Approximately 30 people from five floors were evacuated from the Hillcrest Hampton House after midnight due to a fire alarm and sprinklers set off by a burned out AC in one unit. A dozen fire companies repsonded to assist as several floors had heavy water damage. No injuries. pic.twitter.com/bb5iH4s2q8
— Orlando Fire Dept (@OrlandoFireDept) October 18, 2021