LINCOLN, R.I. (WPRI) — Eleven families are without a home heading into the new year after a four-alarm fire ripped through their apartment building early Friday morning, according to Albion Fire Chief Richard Andrews.
The fire broke out around 1 a.m. at a multi-family home on Spring Street, which is located in the Manville section of Lincoln.
“The first truck pulled up and the fire was through the roof,” Andrews said.
Andrews said one man became trapped and had to be rescued from a third-floor porch. He was not injured. Residents from six of the building’s 12 apartment units were also rescued from the building.
The building has been deemed a total loss, Andrews said, and the American Red Cross is assisting the 20 adults and 10 children who lived there. None of the residents were hurt.
Neighbors told 12 News they could feel the heat of the flames from several homes away.
“Everyone was running around like crazy,” one neighbor said.
Neighbors said they heard fireworks coming from the apartment complex Thursday night, though it’s unclear whether the fireworks sparked the fire.
Investigators believe the fire started on one of the exterior porches, however, the exact cause remains under investigation by the State Fire Marshal.
