Four People Rescued From Apartment Fire

An early morning apartment fire on Columbus’ east side forced several families out of their homes. Columbus Firefighters raced to rescue some of the residents trapped at 2213 Courtside Drive about 4:16 this morning. Battalion Chief Patrick Ferguson says the fire started on the first floor inside a bedroom where candles were burning. The stairwell was soon blocked with smoke and fire. “We also encountered individuals that were trapped on the upper floor in the rear of the building which we put ladders up and rescued 4 people out of the back windows, we brought them down the ladders at the time. The fire spread and continued to spread to apartments on the second floor.â€? Ferguson says four apartment units were damaged. No one was injured. The Red Cross assisted residents who needed a place to stay.