An apartment went up in flames on Friday in Coconut Creek, sending an elderly couple to the hospital.
The couple lives in a first-story apartment, and witnesses said they were still inside as the fire consumed everything. Neighbors helped get them out, as the flames grew higher.
Firefighters rushed to the scene and it still took 30 minutes to put out.
The couple suffered smoke inhalation. The man had to be airlifted to Kendall Regional Medical Center in serious condition for burns to his lungs. The woman is now stable at Northwest Regional Medical Center.
"It was scary. I was still seeing him in there with the red fire, so everyone was scared, thinking we need to get him out," a witness said.
There's extensive damage to the two apartments above on the second and third floors. A couple dozen people had to pack up and stay somewhere else for at least the night until the building is deemed safe.
"It did contact the floor and ceiling and caused structural (damage), so our building official is out here and until they get that evaluated, we're not going to let anyone inside this side of the apartments. It's 12 units," said Deputy Fire Marshal Jeffery Gary.
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"They're saying they want to make sure it's stable, and that the chemicals used to put it all out, that the levels are better," said Jill Rhymer, who was forced from her home.
The American Red Cross was on the scene helping families find a place to stay, all while crews try to determine how the fire started. However, the elderly man may have been on oxygen, and investigators aren't sure whether that's how the fire started, or if that fueled it.
The couple apparently had several cats as pets, and not all of them have been accounted for yet.
