Pitch black from smoke: 7 people rescued, 1 hospitalized, after large apartment fire in Fayetteville

Firefighters rescued seven people from a fire that damaged multiple units of a 3-story apartment on Saturday morning in Fayetteville.

Heavy smoke was visible on Tamarack Drive when firefighters arrived around 6 a.m.

Neighbors say the dramatic scene was dangerous and scary, with several people on the upper floor only reachable by ladder.

"I opened the front door, and a lot of smoke smacked me. It was pitch black," said one neighbor. "It was clearly a huge fire, and the fire was coming through my kitchen, maybe electrical outlets. I had no choice but to grab my kid and go out the sliding door."

The fire began on the ground floor and spread to apartments above. The ground floor was described as "completely gutted."

One cat is still missing, and one person was taken to the hospital with unspecified injuries.

Residents were asked to avoid the area as crews worked offensively against the fire and rescued people inside.

Crews will investigate how the fire started after completing suppression efforts to prevent the fire from spreading.