Dozens displaced by Kent apartment building fire

Dozens of people have been displaced from their homes in a four-story Kent apartment complex after a fire broke out on the top floor Friday morning.

Authorities evacuated the 90-unit Woodland Estates building, 89 units of which were occupied, according to Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority’s Capt. Joe Root.

One resident was injured, according to Root, after reportedly jumping from the flames from a top-floor balcony. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center with burns and leg fractures.

One unit was totally destroyed by the fire, and three adjoining units were damaged. Power to the building was shut off as a result of major water damage from the firefight.

Root said that officials are still investigating the cause of the fire.

It’s unclear how long the evacuation will last. The Red Cross has set up an emergency shelter with cots and blankets in another building at the site, where 30 people were fed sandwich dinners Friday night. Olive Garden was donating a hot lunch Saturday afternoon.

The Red Cross on Saturday was considering moving the displaced residents to another shelter in the area, according to spokesperson Betsy Robertson. Families were able to be escorted back into their units Friday afternoon to retrieve personal items, Robertson said.