4-alarm apartment fire breaks out in Woonsocket RI

WOONSOCKET, R.I. (WHDH) -- Witnesses say a woman was forced to throw her baby from a burning apartment building Saturday. The baby was safely caught by neighbors below.

The four-alarm fire broke out on Hope Street around 11 a.m.

The building with five apartments in it was up in flames by the time firefighters arrived on scene.

Witnesses say a woman was forced to toss her baby from a second-story window to neighbors below, who had rushed over from across the street. She and another adult then leapt from that same window to safety.

Firefighters say there were no working smoke detectors in the building at 24 Hope Street. Neighbors evacuated each other through the smoke-filled hallways of the triple-decker.

"It was pitch black. Nobody could see nothing. It was like really bad, people were screaming," said Tony Santos.

7News spoke to one woman who says she and her baby narrowly escaped the flames after a neighbor broke down her door.

“My fiancé, he just came back from the store and then he took the baby out as soon as we opened the door it was just like black smoke everywhere. And as soon as we got out, the first floor on the left just started bursting out in fire. It was like a good thing we got out in time,” said Kristena Santos.

At the same time on the floor below, a baby girl was trapped with her grandmother.

"My cousin jumped out first then my mom rescued my daughter. She gave my daughter to my cousin from the window and my mom jumped out herself," said Jose Campos.

Neighbors rushed to help the family jumping from the window. Moments later, firefighter arrived bringing the victims to safety.

"They got here and I started yelling for my dog. They went back in. They got the dog," said Rolando Cruz.

Two people who live in the building suffered injuries and were transported to a hospital where they remained Saturday evening.

Crews were still on scene Saturday evening investigating the cause of the fire.