FIRE SCENE Firefighters respond Thursday morning to the scene of a three-alarm fire in a 10th floor unit at the City View Manor apartments on Goldsmith Ave. in East Providence. Photo by Steve Klamkin WPRO News

Three-alarm fire in high-rise apartment complex

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Posted: 7/12/2012 12:03:27 PM
Updated: 7/12/2012 12:14:51 PM

Residents of the top two floors of an East Providence high-rise apartment building were evacuated for a time Thursday morning as firefighters put out a blaze in a 10th floor unit. 

The blaze was reported at about 9:00 A.M. in the City View Manor complex on Goldsmith Avenue, and quickly went to three alarms, bringing mutual aid companies from neighboring communities. 

"Our guys made a phenomenal stop," said East Providence Fire Marshal Captain Oscar M. Elmasian.  He said the fire began in a tenth floor unit of the 11-story building where renovation work was being done.

"It appears the apartment was empty, and they were renovating the interior of the apartment," he said. The fire was brought under control within about 15 minutes, and tenth and 11th floor residents were evacuated to lower stories, which he said is standard procedure in fires in highrise buildings.

"These buildings are compartmentized.  The residents are told to stay in their apartments, but you've got to understand that the smoke is eventually going to get to them, so we have the task of evacuating, along with suppression activities."

There were no immediate reports of injuries as a result of the fire, which remained under investigation.

Steve Klamkin | WPRO News