3 suffer smoke inhalation in apartment fire

GAINESVILLE - Three people - including two children - were taken to the hosptial after a fire at Summit Street Apartments in Gainesville about 9:00 Friday morning.

Gainesville Fire Chief Jon Canada says the three are lucky because there were no working smoke detectors in the apartment. He said the only one in the unit had a dead battery in it.

Canada said the adult and her two children, ages 2 and 4, were asleep at the time of the fire and the mother woke up when one of the children started coughing as smoke filled the apartment. They were able safely evacuate the apartment but suffered smoke inhalation.

Canada says the second-floor unit was heavily damaged with damages put at around $40,000. He said the fire started in a trash can in the kitchen from an unknown source.

Canada said there was a small amount of fire but a lot of smoke but the flames got into one wall and the ceiling.