(KSDK)-St. Charles--A two-alarm fire in St. Charles Saturday night sent apartment residents jumping from second floor balconies.
St. Charles city fire officials say the man whose apartment the fire started in is critically burned. It happened north of I-70, off of First Capitol Drive, just east of Lindenwood University.
The building on Spring Avenue contains 16 apartment units.
Firefighters say two people were transported to area hospitals. That includes the man whose apartment the fire started in and a female resident of the building.
St. Charles city fire officials say they had to make multiple rescues.
Captain Dan Casey said, "First units arrived on scene; we did have 1 victim who had jumped from a 2nd floor balcony. He was in critical condition with burns. Medics were able to transport him to St. John's. Other people at the time were still trapped on balconies, so we had to make rescues with ladders to get them off."
Vicki Elsner is one of those residents.
"Yes, he helped me," said Elsner, speaking of one of the firefighters. "He guided me all the way down the ladder. I said, 'Will I still have two cats?' He said,'You don't have time. We just need to leave, they'll probably be fine. But we need to go because there's a big fire.' So he walked me down each step, which I don't do really well."
Fire officials have nothing on a cause yet. State fire marshal investigators are getting involved.
Fire officials said none of the 16 apartment units is inhabitable. Fire officials said American Red Cross personnel were on the scene, trying to find temporary housing for residents. Late Saturday night firefighters were working to determine the well-being of residents' pets in the building.