ST. GEORGE, Utah — Body camera footage released by the St. George Police Department shows officers' efforts to save residents of an apartment complex that caught fire Sunday morning.
Officers can be seen responding to the fire at around 2:30 a.m., knocking on doors and entering apartments to evacuate the residents inside.
Several times, police entered homes to find the residents still asleep and ordered them to get up and leave. Officers also used a ladder found nearby to evacuate one resident from his second-story apartment that was on fire.
Two minutes into the video, a large crashing noise is heard, and a bright flash is seen, with officials saying the building had started to fail while officers were inside.
The St. George Fire Department said the fire moved through a shared attic that connected 20 units. Officials shared that up to 20 apartment units were damaged or destroyed.
Multiple people were displaced following the fire, and eight St. George Police Department officers were taken to the hospital for treatment with smoke inhalation. According to the department, all the officers have since been released.
The fire was contained to a building with 20 units, with crews from Santa Clara-Ivins, Washington, and Hurricane fire departments assisting with mutual aid resources.
