RFD: Apartment tower fire displaces 6, including children

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) —Firefighters say an adult and five kids were not hurt, but are now displaced after a three-alarm fire at a downtown Rochester apartment tower trapped several people Thursday morning.

A News10NBC crew spotted the scene outside the Southeast Towers near Martin Luther King Jr. Park around 2:15 a.m. According to the Rochester Fire Department, the group was in a second-floor apartment where the fire started.

Heavy smoke could be seen coming from the building, but no flames. Crews said the group of six had to rush to get out of the apartment, as did several other neighbors who were upstairs and caught in the smoke. The building has 17 floors.

"[There was a] significant amount of smoke throughout the entire structure, obviously it’s the winter and everything is closed up so the structure retained a lot of smoke," Deputy Chief Michael Dobbertin said. "So we started getting calls from a number of occupants that they were trapped in their apartments because of a significant smoke condition in the hallway."

#BREAK @RochesterNYPD @RFDPIO1 working a fire call right around corner from our station by MLK Park at Manhattan Sq Apts

Pretty big scene with all the roads shutdown @news10nbc #Roc pic.twitter.com/ItTNsMJPX7

— Brennan Somers (@WHEC_BSomers) December 9, 2021

#UPDATE No serious injuries per RFD, adult and 5 kids in apt where fire started had to rush out

Then focus turned to helping neighbors upstairs caught in smoke.

Latest @news10nbc Today coming up this AM

— Brennan Somers (@WHEC_BSomers) December 9, 2021

Dobbertin said the three-alarm was called to quickly get a hold of the fire, and keep people safe.

Despite the heavy smoke, there were no serious injuries but several people had to get checked out for signs of smoke inhalation. The group is being helped out by the Red Cross.

Fire and police had the scene blocked off, but the area has since reopened.