SPRINGDALE — Three children were transported to a hospital Friday afternoon after a fire at Applegate Apartments, according to the Springdale Fire Department.
An update on their conditions was not immediately available.
Firefighters went to Applegate Drive at 11:27 a.m. for reports of a fire in a downstairs apartment unit in building No. 42, according to dispatch logs. The complex is about half a mile from Jones Elementary School.
Four fire trucks were at the scene Friday afternoon. A window in the unit where the fire started had been shattered to help with ventilation, said Battalion Chief James Hales. He added that multiple units were damaged by the fire, affecting three families.
Irvin Garcia, 17, lives in an upstairs apartment adjacent to where the fire started. He didn't see the fire start but said he saw lots of smoke and heard people screaming to remove a baby from the apartment.
"Two little kids came out, and they were covered in black," Garcia said.
The Applegate Apartments are managed by the Springdale Housing Authority. The apartments, built in 1971, are the oldest of 197 public housing units managed by the authority.