Firefighters put out an apartment fire this morning in southwest Denver where five people suffered smoke inhalation.
Four of the smoke inhalation victims were treated at the scene and one was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, said Lt. Phil Champagne, a Denver Fire Department spokesman.
The fire started at about 9 a.m. in an apartment at 3550 S. Harlan St., Champagne said.
When firefighters arrived there was heavy smoke streaming from the building and one apartment was engulfed in flames.
Firefighters forced entry into one apartment, where no one was home, to fight the fire, which likely started in the kitchen.
The fire was extinguished in about seven minutes. One unit in the building was heavily damaged. Several adjoining units were damaged by smoke.
The cause of the fire in under investigation.
The Red Cross Mile High Chapter is aiding the resident who has been displaced by the fire, the organization said.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com.
