Dexter Lail, 50, was one of those who jumped. Trapped on his balcony, he climbed over the railing, jumped to the top of an air conditioning unit and shimmied down a pole.
"I had no choice," he said. "I panicked. I had to get down." Fire officials suspect the blaze started in a second-floor apartment. It burned downward through the first floor into the basement and then up, eventually destroying at least one third-floor apartment, according to Public Information Officer and Deer Park Fire Chief Tom Camp. A cause had not been determined.
Seven apartments sustained water, fire or smoke damage, and at least three of those were uninhabitable, said Lockland Fire Chief Gary Wehmeyer.
Red Cross officials estimated that more than 54 families needed assistance and of that number, eight households were left homeless by the fire.
"We handed out 30 pairs of shoes and socks, 200 cheeseburgers, put 13 people in hotels and got two people their prescription medication from their apartments," said Sean Townsley, Red Cross communication specialist.
Surrounding fire departments, including Cincinnati, Evendale, Springdale, Wyoming, Lincoln Heights, Woodlawn, Fairfield and Reading, helped Lockland fight the blaze. It was classified as a three-alarm, Chief Camp said.
Firefighters from Wyoming, Cincinnati and Woodlawn used aerial ladder trucks to rescue residents trapped on higher floors, while firefighters from all other departments entered the building to attack the blaze.
Many residents stood and watched. It was obvious that some had been awakened; they were dressed in sleepwear and were without shoes.
Distributing cool drinks and counting the victims in need of emergency shelter and supplies, Red Cross volunteers encountered a language barrier.
Some of the residents -- a large contingent of young men -- were recent immigrants from Mauritania, Congo and other West African nations. They spoke in a variety of dialects as well as in French. Those who did speak English identified themselves as students. Ousmane Diallo, a native of Mauritania, acted as an impromptu interpreter and helped Red Cross officials compile a list of names and immediate needs.
Residents said they heard smoke alarms going off as they fled the building, but this could not be confirmed by fire officials, who were still investigating late Monday.
Some residents risked their lives to save others.
On the east side of the building far from the engulfed apartments, Rodney Ladson heard his stepson calling 911. "I heard him say there was a fire, and I jumped up and I hit the door," he said.
On the outside, Mr. Ladson, 42, could see the flames and smoke, but he didn't stay to watch. He went back inside. Meeting up with Lockland police officers, Mr. Ladson ran through the building pounding on doors to alert neighbors.
Ernest Daniels, 49, whose third-floor apartment was destroyed, first saw the flames from his window. He called 911 and began to warn neighbors. "I knocked on everybody's door. Some of them were all sleepy-eyed. But when I said "Fire!' they all came out."
In Apartment 66, at the rear of the building, Wayne Emmerich, 32, said his door didn't feel hot, but when he opened it, he saw flames along the rafters.
"I closed the door, wet towels and stuck them in the cracks, and got some clothes on and got my wife and kids ready to go out the window," the former firefighter said. "At that point, it just became "grab and go.' "
Mr. Emmerich, his wife, Tracee, 26, and their children, Shelby, 3, and Michael, 2 months, were rescued by Woodlawn firefighters through a window.
The family does not have renters' insurance and was uncertain of the damage to their apartment.
Still, Mr. Emmerich was optimistic. "All that matters is our safety," he said. "Everything else can be replaced."
