Neighbor helps two displaced in Lexington fire

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - The Lexington Fire Department responded to an apartment fire this afternoon off of Codell Drive at Quinton Court.

Crews said they found flames coming from a second-story patio.

Fire officials said the flames were contained to the second and third floors of the building.

The fire department said two people have been displaced as a result of the fire.

Fire officials said they don’t know how long they’ll be displaced. They said it’ll likely be at least 72 hours.

Manwell Benton was in his apartment when he heard the fire alarms go off.

“I thought I was going to have to jump over my balcony, yeah my heart was racing fast,” he said.

Benton said the fire didn’t start in his apartment but one of the damaged units was just across the hall.

When he opened his door, he was immediately greeted by heavy smoke. Benton said once he knew it was safe to walk out the front door, he jumped into action.

“We knew we had some elderly neighbors and a woman in a wheelchair. So once we knew that she was okay, we just told everybody we didn’t who was in what we was just screaming and yelling to make sure everybody’s out. And we got everyone evacuated within about five minutes,” Benton said.

He said everyone in the neighborhood looks out for each other, and Saturday, that community made sure everyone got out safely.

“It was just terrifying. I don’t want to go through it again,” Benton said.

Officials stated that the cause of the fire remains undetermined. The investigation into the fire is ongoing.