Two jump from 3rd floor balcony to escape flames

KENT, Wash. — Investigators are trying to find out what sparked an early morning apartment fire in Kent.

The fire displaced 30 people, including a man and a woman who jumped from their third-story balcony to escape the flames.

The fire happened at the Mosaic Hills apartment homes on 239th Place.

At least six units were destroyed and several others were damaged as fire ripped through the building.

Before flames engulfed the building, some residents say their heard a noise.

“We heard the BOOM,” said resident Anthony Braxton. "There's just smoke covered the whole hallway and then there's fire, like it's not no joke fire."

"(We) starting pounding on windows making sure everyone was out," said another resident.

The flames spread quickly in the 18-unit building, leaving a man and a woman on the third floor no choice but to jump.

“(They were) two older people," said Braxton. “The female jumped down, broke her arm, broke her leg, broke her whole grill, her whole face."

The couple was taken to the hospital with fractures to their face and body.

Late Friday morning, the spokesman for the Kent Fire Department told KIRO 7 no one was going to be allowed into the apartment for 24 hours because there was continued concern about “hidden fire” or flare-ups inside.

In a press relesae sent Friday afternoon, the fire investigator has not been able to enter the building because of structural instability.

The building will have to be shored up before investigators can go in, according to the release.

Kent fire also said there were no sprinklers or alarms inside the building. However, this is not a building or fire code violation because the building was built before those two were required.

The Red Cross is providing housing assistance to all of the residents who were affected.

KIRO