ESSEX, Md. — A smattering of charred debris on the ground and blackened flame paths stretching up the exterior brick walls hardly tell the whole story of the fire at Kings Mill Apartments in Essex.
“There were flames shooting out of the side windows,” said Patricia Minnick, a nearby neighbor.
The fire broke out just after midnight on the ground floor.
“I mean it must have been like 10 firetrucks that came through,” said Candace McNeal who watched the response from her balcony.
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Firefighters responded to reports of multiple people trapped inside.
“There were children being brought out of the third floor window here,” said Minnick, “A woman jumped out of the second floor window, but as far as I know, the kids were ok. There were firemen coming out and falling on the ground here, because they were out of breath from fighting smoke, you know, inhalation and stuff like that so I’m pretty sure, I hope everybody was fine.”
“I looked outside and the sky was orange, and I could actually see the flames through to the other side,” said McNeal, “I was just praying that everyone got out on time.”
It took firefighters nearly an hour to extinguish all of the flames, and for now, investigators suspect it was a faulty electrical strip, which caused the fire.
But it was the smoke, thick, black smoke, which arguably posed the biggest threat to the 18 people inside the building, including seven children, and onlookers feared the worst until the most vulnerable among them had been rescued.
“Especially, the woman that lived over here on this side where the little fan is in the window there,” said Minnick, “She was elderly so they were carrying her down the steps.”
