3 injured in fire at Alexandria high-rise apartment building

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Residents at a high-rise apartment building in Alexandria were forced to evacuate early Thursday morning after a fire broke out in their building.

The blaze was reported at the Sentinel at Landmark apartments on Stevenson Avenue just after 2 a.m. Fire crews say the fire started on the ninth floor of the building, and flames extended to the 10th floor. They also say debris from the fire fell and sparked a fire on the balcony of a first floor apartment.

Residents told FOX 5's Annie Yu they were awakened by the fire alarm, and by firefighters banging on their doors as they tried to evacuate the building. Firefighters said the scene was chaotic when they arrived, as all of the residents in the 14-story building tried to get out. Many of them were frightened and disoriented as they ran down the stairs.

Officials say three people suffered non-life threatening injuries, including two firefighters who were treated for minor injuries. A man who lives in the building also suffered burns to his head, and is being treated at a local hospital.

Yu reported residents who live on the first seven floors of the building have been allowed back in, as of 5:30 a.m. By 7 a.m., all residents except those whose apartments were heavily damaged had been let back into the building.