Two-alarm fire leads to evacuation of apartments

About 200 residents were evacuated from their high-rise apartment building in the medical district after a fire broke out early Friday morning.

Memphis Fire Department responded to the two-alarm fire at Blair Towers at 810 Washington Ave. at 4:29 a.m.

Fire Department spokesman Lt. Wayne Cooke said a young girl was treated for smoke inhalation on the scene, but no other injuries were reported.

“When we arrived on the scene, smoke was visible,” Cooke said. He said the preliminary investigation shows the fire started on the fourth floor, where one apartment had smoke, fire and water damage. Damage was estimated at $55,000 to the building and contents.

“The origin of the fire was determined to be apartment 407. The cause is inconclusive at this time. This fire remains under investigation,” Cooke said.

The high-rise is across the street from Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in the medical district of the city. Bartlett resident Don Davidson, whose daughter is at Le Bonheur, said he was on the corner across from the apartment building when he saw black smoke pouring from the high-rise.

“There was a rubber smell to the smoke, and it was pouring out of the building,” said Davidson.

The fire was under control 16 minutes after it started. After firefighters conducted a floor-by-floor search, residents were allowed back in the building just as an early-morning thunderstorm began.