Two people were rescued and more than 100 were evacuated after a fire broke out at a high-rise apartment building in Fort Lauderdale late Tuesday night.
Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue responded to the Coral Ridge Towers at 3233 Northeast 34th Street around 11 p.m. after smoke was reported on the 14th floor.
When firefighters arrived, they found multiple residents evacuating the building in the stairwells as they made their way up the 13 flights of stairs, officials said.
The firefighters found moderate smoke on floors 12 to 16, and heavy smoke on the 14th floor. When they got to the apartment where the fire started, they encountered heavy smoke and flames.
Some firefighters began to extinguish the fire while others searched for victims. Two victims were rescued from the apartment and taken to Holy Cross Hospital, one in critical condition and the other suffering from smoke inhalation.
More than 100 people were evacuated from the building but no other serious injuries were reported.
"It was pretty frightening, especially because I was watching 'Chicago Fire' and a lot of other people thought it was from the T.V.," resident Caryl Kennedy said.
"Walked down 17 floors then back up 17 floors two hours later. I can feel it in my legs today," Joan Jones said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
