No serious injuries were reported in the blaze, which broke out about 11:45 p.m. Saturday. But most residents were forced to flee with just the clothes they were wearing.
Moments before firefighters arrived, witnesses said a woman tossed two young children to safety from a second-floor window to someone on the street. She then jumped herself, sustaining minor injuries.
Firefighters also rescued an elderly man trapped in a third-floor room, while other residents guided their neighbors to safety through the smoke and flames.
Authorities say the fire started in a second-floor room, possibly from an overheated hot plate. But the investigation was ongoing Sunday morning.
