SHREWSBURY, MO ( KTVI-FOX2now.com) -
A three alarm fire led to a mass rescue at an apartment building at the St. Louis-Shrewsbury city limits Sunday morning. At one point, there was a fear firefighters might be trapped inside. At least four children escaped through a window with the help of tied-up bed sheets and a friendly neighbor. At least eight families were without homes in the wake of the fire. The American Red Cross was helping them with food and clothing; providing temporary shelter for four of those families at an area hotel.
The others were staying with family members.
Survivors shared stories outside the River Crest apartments as smoke detectors whaled from the smoking shell of the 18 unit building. There were plenty of those stories to tell. "I looked out the door and it was just filled with nothing but black smoke," said resident Madeline Cutts.
"The smoke was just everywhere in their apartment," said resident Katherine Bruckner, pointing to Cutts' window. "You could see it, just filling up the room."
Cutts and her boyfriend used tied up sheets to get her daughter and step-children out through the window about 20 feet above the ground.
"We wrapped sheets around them and lowered them down. And this lady right here was nice enough to catch the kids for us," she said, pointing to Bruckner.
"I just didn't want that kid to have to fall to the ground," Bruckner said. "The police didn't want us anywhere near the building. I guess I was kind of defiant, but there was human life at stake." Cutts, 7 and 1/2 months pregnant, escaped down a fire department ladder. There was a fear two firefighters might have been trapped while making sure everyone else got out. 10 area departments responded.
"When we first arrived we had a lot smoke showing coming out of a lot different areas," said Shrewsbury Fire Chief, Bill Fox. "We had [residents] trapped. So, we wanted to have as many people here has we can get...we weren't sure if there was a communications problem or [the firefighters] were really trapped somewhere, so we called a 'mayday' and evacuated the building and counted noses. We're happy to report they were all out."
"This could have been so much worse, so much worse," Bruckner said. Fox said a blanket too close to a space heater, started it all.
The others were staying with family members.
Survivors shared stories outside the River Crest apartments as smoke detectors whaled from the smoking shell of the 18 unit building. There were plenty of those stories to tell. "I looked out the door and it was just filled with nothing but black smoke," said resident Madeline Cutts.
"The smoke was just everywhere in their apartment," said resident Katherine Bruckner, pointing to Cutts' window. "You could see it, just filling up the room."
Cutts and her boyfriend used tied up sheets to get her daughter and step-children out through the window about 20 feet above the ground.
"We wrapped sheets around them and lowered them down. And this lady right here was nice enough to catch the kids for us," she said, pointing to Bruckner.
"I just didn't want that kid to have to fall to the ground," Bruckner said. "The police didn't want us anywhere near the building. I guess I was kind of defiant, but there was human life at stake." Cutts, 7 and 1/2 months pregnant, escaped down a fire department ladder. There was a fear two firefighters might have been trapped while making sure everyone else got out. 10 area departments responded.
"When we first arrived we had a lot smoke showing coming out of a lot different areas," said Shrewsbury Fire Chief, Bill Fox. "We had [residents] trapped. So, we wanted to have as many people here has we can get...we weren't sure if there was a communications problem or [the firefighters] were really trapped somewhere, so we called a 'mayday' and evacuated the building and counted noses. We're happy to report they were all out."
"This could have been so much worse, so much worse," Bruckner said. Fox said a blanket too close to a space heater, started it all.
